Predicting if the Blood Pressure Will Drop After Spinal Anesthesia Using Ultrasound of the Neck

Prediction of Hypotension After Spinal Anesthesia by Doppler Measurement of the Corrected Carotid Flow Time and the Peak Velocity Variation Within the Common Carotid Artery

After a spinal injection, blood pressure might drop for a short time, similar to what happens with general anesthesia. This drop can be different for each person. An anesthesiologist will use medicine to bring the blood pressure back to normal. If this drop could be predicted in advance, it would help the anesthesiologist treat it faster, making the procedure even safer and preventing side effects like dizziness or nausea.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Adult patients of either sex who are scheduled for elective surgery under spinal anesthesia,
• Who fasted for 6 hours or more

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age <18 years old
• No informed consent for study participation
• Contra-indication for spinal anesthesia
• Emergency surgery
• Known poor left or right ventricular function / heart failure
• Moderate to severe valvular disease
• Atrial fibrillation
• Pacemaker rhythm
• Carotid artery stenosis > 50%
• History of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• History of cerebral trauma
• Pregnancy
• Neck complaints
• Morbid obesity (BMI > 40 kg/m2)