Role of Ultrasonographic Inferior Venacaval Assessment in Surgeries Conducted Under General Anaesthesia-a Prospective Observational Study

Background: One of the most frequent side effects following the induction of general anaesthesia during surgery is hypotension. The goal of our study was to determine if there was a connection between the maximum inferior vena cava (IVC) diameter prior to induction, the collapsibility index (CI), and the post-induction decrease in mean arterial blood pressure in patients undergoing operations under general anaesthesia. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients who underwent procedures under general anaesthesia at Gandhi Medical College Bhopal and associated tertiary care hospital were included in a prospective observational research. Prior to starting general anaesthesia, the IVC was evaluated. For each surgical patient, the maximum and minimum IVC diameters (IVCD max and IVCD min) as well as the CI were assessed. Results: According to the criteria of hypotension as defined, 31(38.75%) of the patients developed post-induction hypotension. Four patients had MAP <60 mmHg after induction of anesthesia. Post-induction hypotension was seen in patients with increased age. Patients with smaller IVCD max (P = 0.02), smaller IVCD min (P = 0.003), and higher CI% (P = 0.004) developed hypotension after induction of anesthesia. Percentage drop in MAP was 33.7 ± 4.48% (P = 0.002) in patients who developed post-induction hypotension. Conclusion: Predicting post-induction hypotension caused by hypovolemia in surgical patients with IVC measurement using ultrasound is a reliable strategy.