Hypotensive Events and Patient Safety: Why Beat-By-Beat Blood Pressure Matters
Acute hypotensive events (AHE) are among the most severe threats to intraoperative and postoperative patients. Monitoring blood pressure is, therefore, a critical function for patients, not only in the operating room and ICU but also in the postoperative wards.
An AHE is defined as a drop in the mean arterial pressure below 65 mm Hg, lasting five consecutive minutes of more. It can be a sign of a serious problem, such as bleeding, sepsis, adrenal insufficiency, or cardiac issues. Not surprisingly, it is associated with adverse outcomes in critically ill patients, such as stroke, heart attack, and kidney failure.
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