Hypertension in the immediate postoperative period.
Sixty patients out of 1,844 recovery room admissions had significant postoperative arterial hypertension. Nearly 60% of them had a history of hypertension. The postoperative hypertension usually began within 30 min from the end of operation and lasted about 2 hours. In 20% of the patients it lasted 3 hours or longer. Complications attributable to hypertension were confined to this latter group. The principal factors possibly contributing to the pressure elevations were pain (35%), hypercarbia (15%) and emergence excitement (16%). Ten of the patients (17%) had no demonstrable cause for hypertension. The hypertension in this group appeared to have a shorter and more benign course.
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D004987:Ethers / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006935:Hypercapnia / Q000150:complications; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology*; D007035:Hypothermia / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000150:complications; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors
D004987:Ethers