Management of crises during anesthesia and surgery. part II : tachycardia and bradycardia

Abstract EN

Tachycardia is a common event during anaesthesia and is frequently associated with simultaneous changes in other monitored vital signs.

In most cases, the cause is easily identified and the problem promptly resolved.

However, in some the cause may be rare or obscure.

Under such circumstances, attempting to initiate appropriate supportive therapy and to consider a large differential diagnosis in a comprehensive manner may lead to delays which can put a patient at risk1.

The clinical significance of tachycardia will in part be determined by the blood pressure and cardiac rhythm of the patient at the time.

This may vary from a hypotensive to a hypertensive crisis.

Tachycardia and hypertension have been shown to be independently associated with a poor outcome after prolonged procedures.

Hypotension may worsen into a cardiac arrest or the patient may be pulseless from the beginning3.