Analysis of the Causes of Hypotension in Recovery Room Surgical Patients

Aim: The present paper attempts to find the risk factors for hypotension suffered by patients in the postoperative period taking into account the following aspects: gender, type of anaesthesia, ASA score, type of surgery, and time after surgery when it is likely to be at its lowest. Material and methods: The main method used in the study was to analyze the medical records regarding patient data in the perioperative period. Patients had their mean arterial pressure (MAP) measured and documented in the Intensive Care Chart. Information on the type of surgery and choice of anesthesia was obtained from the Anaesthesia Records. Eighty patients participated in the study. Results: There was no clear correlation between the gender of the patients and the decrease in blood pressure. Hypotonia occurred in the 8th hour after surgery in both men and women in the study group. It was observed that in subjects under 80 years of age, hypotonia occurs mainly in the 8th hour after the procedure, while in older subjects – after 12 hours following surgery. The type of procedure affects the occurrence of hypotonia. In patients undergoing general and epidural anaesthesia, the highest decreases in mean arterial pressure values were observed 8 hours after surgery compared to other methods of anaesthesia. The ASA classification proved useful in predicting the incidence of hypotonia; in Class 4 patients, it was pronounced and persisted for 12 hours after surgery. Conclusions: It cannot be conclusively stated which factors most influence the occurrence of hypotension in patients after surgery.