Anaesthesia and the patient with diabetes.

AIMS: To provide updated knowledge regarding the airway management and the possibility of difficult intubation in diabetic patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We preformed a systematic literature review of the English language literature, published over the past 10 years which deals with this subject. RESULTS: The vast majority of the modern literature data supports the fact that diabetic population has higher risk for difficult intubation occurrence. The most important characteristics of diabetic patients that are considered to be contributing factors for the difficult intubation are obesity, increased neck circumference and stiff joint syndrome. CONCLUSION: A special attention and thorough preoperative preparation should be given to patients with diabetes. In order to predict and prevent difficult intubation in these patients, further studies are needed to investigate this issue closely.

Risk factors for intraoperative hypotension during thyroid surgery.

BACKGROUND: Hypotension is a common adverse effect of IV anaesthetics, especially during the induction of anaesthesia. The aim of our study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for intraoperative hypotension (IOH) in thyroid surgery, as well as to determine whether and to what extent IOH affects the occurrence of postoperative hypotension. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included 1252 euthyroid patients, ASA 2 and ASA 3 status (American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status classification), who had thyroid surgery between 2007 and 2011. IOH was defined as a decrease in systolic blood pressure of >20% of baseline values. We studied the influence of demographic characteristics (sex, age, body mass index-BMI), comorbidity, type and duration of surgery, and anaesthesia on the occurrence of IOH. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to determine predictors of occurrence of IOH. RESULTS: IOH was registered in 6.5% of patients. The most common operation was thyroidectomy. Patients with IOH were younger, had lower BMI, and significantly less often had hypertension as a coexisting disease. The multivariate regression model identified BMI and the absence of hypertension as a coexisting disease, and as independent predictors of occurrence of IOH. Significantly more patients with IOH had postoperative hypotension (9.9% vs. 2.4%, p=0.000). CONCLUSIONS: IOH is common, even during operations of short duration and with minimal bleeding. It is necessary to pay special attention to these patients, given that many of these patients remained hypotensive during the postoperative period.

The incidence of intraoperative hypertension and risk factors for its development during thyroid surgery.

We studied the influence of demographic characteristics, comorbidity, and type and duration of surgery and anesthesia on the occurrence of intraoperative hypertension (IOHTA). Logistic regression analyses were used in order to determine the predictors of occurrence of IOHTA. More than 60% of our patients had IOHTA. Multivariate analysis showed that independent predictors for IOHTA were older age, BMI 25 kg/m(2), and hypertension as a coexisting disease. Hypertension is common during thyroid surgery, and a significant number of patients remained hypertensive during the postoperative period.