Category Anesthesia

Respiratory Monitoring

Key Points ▪ Intraoperative respiratory monitoring is a fundamental component of the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ standards for basic anesthetic monitoring. Monitoring of oxygenation and ventilation is essential for the safe conduct of an anesthetic. ▪ A thorough understanding of…

Neurologic Monitoring

Key Points ▪ There are four key principles of intraoperative neurologic monitoring. ▪ The pathway at risk during the surgical procedure must be amenable to monitoring. ▪ The monitor must provide reliable and reproducible data. ▪ If evidence of injury…

Perioperative Echocardiography

Key Points ▪ Perioperative applications of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) include monitoring, diagnosis, and procedural guidance. The role of TEE in cardiac surgery, noncardiac surgery, interventional procedures, and critical care continues to evolve. ▪ In noncardiac surgery, intraoperative TEE serves as…

Cardiovascular Monitoring

Key Points ▪ Monitoring of the electrocardiogram (ECG) provides continuous monitoring of heart rate, identification of arrhythmias and conduction abnormalities, and detection of myocardial ischemia. ▪ Accurate and reliable ECG monitoring requires attention to lead placement and selection, choice of…

Patient Positioning and Associated Risks

Key Points ▪ Patient positioning is a major responsibility that requires the cooperation of the entire surgical team. ▪ Many patient positions that are used for surgery result in undesirable physiologic consequences including significant cardiovascular and respiratory compromise. Anesthetic agents…