FREQUENCY OF HYPOTENSION IN PATIENTS AFTER RECEIVING SPINAL ANAESTHESIA IN LOWER LIMB ORTHOPEDIC SURGERIES

Abstract

Introduction: Hypotension is one of the most common complications associated with spinal anesthesia. It occurs in approximately 16% to 33% of patients due to sympathetic nerve blockade caused by the administration of local anesthetic drugs. Several factors can affect the severity of hypotension, including age, gender, body mass index (BMI), preloading with intravenous fluids, and the type of surgery. Hypotension can compromise blood supply to vital organs and may become life-threatening if not properly managed.Methodology: A quantitative, prospective, cross-sectional study was conducted involving 145 patients who were selected using a convenience non-probability sampling technique. Data were collected and analyzed using SPSS and Microsoft Excel.Results: The study showed that 32 out of 145 patients experienced a decrease in blood pressure to below 90 mmHg. Among patients undergoing surgery for femur fractures, 20 (31.8%) out of 63 developed hypotension. Similarly, 10 (21.3%) out of 47 patients with hip fractures and 2 (6.5%) out of 35 patients with proximal tibial fractures developed hypotension. The patients were divided into four age groups. In the 20–30-year age group, 50 patients were included, of whom 12 developed hypotension. In the 30–40-year age group, 24 patients were included, of whom 2 developed hypotension. In the 40–50-year age group, 23 patients were included, of whom 6 developed hypotension. In the 50–60-year age group, 48 patients were included, of whom 12 developed hypotension. Overall, all 145 patients experienced an average 23% decrease in blood pressure from their baseline values approximately 8 minutes after the administration of spinal anesthesia.

Conclusion: The study highlights the frequency of hypotension among patients undergoing different orthopedic surgeries under spinal anesthesia. Hypotension occurred in 31.8% of patients undergoing femur fracture surgery, 21.3% of patients undergoing hip fracture surgery, and 6.5% of patients undergoing proximal tibial fracture surgery. Preloading with intravenous fluids appeared to play an important role in preventing hypotension.