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CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · J Neuroanaesth Crit Care 2019; 06(02): 080-086
DOI: 10.1055/s-0039-1689055
Review Article
Indian Society of Neuroanaesthesiology and Critical Care

Management of Postoperative Neurosurgical Patients

Nidhi B. Panda
1   Division of Neuroanaesthesia, Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab, India
,
Shalvi Mahajan
2   Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, Fortis Hospital, Mohali, Punjab, India
,
Rajeev Chauhan
3   Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care, Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education & Research (PGIMER), Chandigarh, Punjab, India
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

Received: 05 February 2019

Accepted after revision: 05 April 2019

Publication Date:
06 June 2019 (online)

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Abstract

Neurosurgical patients are a special subset of patients requiring postoperative care. Challenging neurosurgical disease processes, advanced surgical techniques, and unique individual patient requirements advocate the need for meticulous postoperative care to ensure safe transition toward recovery. Timely detection of systemic and neurological changes allows early diagnostic and therapeutic interventions. The mainstay of postoperative care revolves around airway, maintenance of hemodynamics, sedation, analgesia, nutrition, fluid management, and management of disease-specific complications. In addition to standard monitoring, multimodal neuromonitoring should be used in neurosurgical patients. Hence, four key elements in the postoperative management of neurosurgical patients involve profound insight, rapid response, good communication skills, and team collaboration.

Keywords

neurocritical care - aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage - traumatic brain injury - neurosurgery
 

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