title: The effect of antihypertensive class on intraoperative pressor requirements during carotid endarterectomy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Certain classes of antihypertensive drugs have been associated with intraoperative hypotension, and frequently, patients are receiving multiple classes of antihypertensive medications. We sought to determine whether one class of antihypertensive medication either alone, or in combination with other classes of antihypertensive medications, increased the probability of intraoperative hypotension, determined by the amount of vasopressor required during carotid endarterectomy (CEA) performed under general anesthesia with specific arterial blood pressure management.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a post hoc analysis of 252 patients scheduled for elective CEA under general anesthesia, all of whom participated in a prospective evaluation of cognitive dysfunction. Patients were characterized by class and number of preoperative antihypertensive medications taken. A predetermined anesthetic regimen was administered to all patients, with a phenylephrine infusion titrated to maintain mean arterial blood pressure at baseline before clamping the carotid artery, and approximately 20% above baseline during clamping. Computerized anesthesia records were used to record hemodynamics and to quantify medication administered intraoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Patients taking diuretics as part of their antihypertensive regimen required significantly more (1.6 times) total intraoperative phenylephrine than those not taking diuretics, independently of the number of other antihypertensive medications. This difference in the phenylephrine requirement occurs only during the preclamp period, i.e., from induction to application of carotid artery clamping for the maintenance of preoperative blood pressure. However, in contrast to this result, there is no difference in pressor requirement comparing classes of antihypertensive medications to increase the mean arterial blood pressure 20% above baseline during the period when the carotid artery is clamped.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Diuretics are associated with increased vasopressor requirements in patients having a CEA under general anesthesia in the preclamp period, which is likely true for any patient having a general anesthetic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Columbia University, New York, NY 10032, USA. zh2114@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Zirka H
authors.initials: ZH
authors.lastname: Anastasian
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Gaudet
authors.forename: E Sander
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Connolly
authors.forename: Srikesh
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Arunajadai
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Heyer
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents / Q000145:classification / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D015897:Comorbidity; D004347:Drug Interactions; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D016894:Endarterectomy, Carotid / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010656:Phenylephrine / Q000494:pharmacology; D011336:Probability
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D000959:Antihypertensive Agents; D010656:Phenylephrine