A Study on the Predictors of Hypertension in the Immediate Postoperative Period

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Hypertension in the immediate postoperative period, if sufficiently high, can cause left heart failure, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction, and cerebral hemorrhage. The causes of postoperative hypertension are hypertension history, pain, hypoxia, emergence excitement, reaction to endotracheal tube, hypothermia, excess fluid administration, hypercarbia, etc. To know the predictable factors for the postoperative hypertension the authors tried to investigate perioperative patient care of the postoperative hypertensive cases. METHODS: One hundred twenty surgical patients in both sexes between the age of 40~60 were sampled randomly and devided into two groups. The normotensive (N) group included the patients with postoperative blood pressure below 140/90 mmHg and the hypertensive (H) group, above 140/90 mmHg. The incidence of hypertension history, hypertension on admission, hypertension on ward, change of systolic blood pressure above 20% during surgery, intra or postoperative use of antihypertensives or inotropic agents were compared between the groups. RESULTS: The incidence of history of hypertension was higher in H group (20%) than N group (6.7%). Hypertension on admission was higher in H group (43.3%) than N group (23.3%). Systolic blood pressure change above 20% was only in H group (6.7%). Use of antihypertensive was more frequent in H group (33.3%) than N group (3.3%) and use of inotropic agents was only in N group (8.3%). The blood pressure at ward, preinduction, and after induction were higher in H group. Within the group the blood pressure between preinduction and after induction has no difference. CONCLUSION: Immediate postoperative hypertension can be expected in case of history of hypertenion, hypertension on admission (above 140/90 mmHg), change of systolic blood pressure above 20%, use of antihypertensive during operation, and hypertension just before induction. [By kind permission, KoreaMed, Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors.]