Category Anesthesia

Hypoxia

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,…

Hypercapnia

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…

Thromboembolism

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…

Postoperative Hematoma

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…

Coagulopathy

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…

Vascular Injuries

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…