Introduction Monitoring of the airway pressure is important during neurosurgical operations. Due to a variety of positions used during neurosurgery, there is a high risk of kinking endotracheal tubes (ETTs). Often, a slight increase in the airway pressure is the…
Introduction Pulmonary edema is characterized by an accumulation of fluid in the air spaces and interstitium of the lung. It may be due to intrinsic pathology of the lung or due to systemic factors. Hence, pulmonary edema has been traditionally…
Hypoxia is a serious complication that continues to be a leading cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in anesthesia-related events. There are many potential causes of perioperative hypoxia, and airway management is one of the most common. To diagnose, treat,…
Definition and Etiology A carbonic dioxide arterial blood level (PCO 2 ) above 46 mmHg (6.1 kPa) is defined as hypercapnia. The increase in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) partial pressure provokes a fall in blood pH, and its clinical…
Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) occurs in deep large veins of lower extremities and rarely in upper limbs. With the enlargement of thrombus, an embolus may get dislodged and be trapped in lungs resulting in pulmonary thromboembolism (PE). This leads to…
Definition Development of a postoperative hematoma is a common complication after intracranial surgery; the gravity depends on the amount of collected blood. Some amount of blood may be frequently seen on subsequent scan in almost 10.8–50% of operated patients. For…
Definition Coagulopathy is defined as a condition in which the blood’s ability to clot is impaired. Sometimes the term is used to represent both hypocoagulability and hypercoagulability. In this chapter we will be limiting our discussion primarily to hypocoagulability. Causes…
The inadvertent rupture of a vessel is not an uncommon complication during neurosurgical procedures. Other than major blood loss and its resultant complications, it carries a high risk of ischemia and permanent neurological deficits. This requires prompt management to minimize…
The utmost objective of anesthetic management of neurosurgical patients is the maintenance of adequate cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) that prevents any secondary injury to the brain and spinal cord. Hemodynamic instability is often encountered intraoperatively or postoperatively and encompasses both…
Definition The close association between the brain and the heart makes the heart vulnerable during any neurologic insult. This may be reflected in the electrocardiogram (ECG) and could vary between sinus tachycardia to asystole (flat ECG). The abnormalities could be…