Hypotension is a common complication during general anesthesia associated with increased postoperative mortality and morbidity. Every episode of intraoperative hypotension, regardless of duration, is linked to the risk of acute kidney injury and cardiovascular events. The vulnerability to hemodynamic disturbances increases with age, underscoring the need for prompt interventions for elderly patients who experience hypotension during anaesthesia.
Using ephedrine resulted in a notable rise in mean arterial pressure (MAP) and cardiac output (CO). Still, no meaningful correlation with age was detected in patients aged 45 years or older. These results imply that ephedrine is reliable for managing low blood pressure during general anaesthesia, even in elderly patients, says Yuta Uemura in a recent study published in BMC Anesthesiology.
Ephedrine is a mixed α- and β-agonist vasopressor for correcting hypotension during general anaesthesia. β-responsiveness decreases with age; therefore, this study aimed to determine whether ageing would reduce the pressor effect of ephedrine on hypotension during general anaesthesia.
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