Basics of Neuromonitoring and Anesthetic Considerations.

It is important anesthesiologists understand the pharmacologic interactions of anesthetics and monitoring of evoked potentials or electroencephalography. Intravenous and inhaled anesthetics have varying degrees of influence on different monitoring modalities and can affect amplitude and latency of evoked potentials or voltage and frequency of electroencephalography. Sudden and abrupt changes in monitoring are concerning and should be evaluated promptly. The source of the changes is related to sudden modifications of anesthesia delivery, variations in vital parameters, or the result of surgical manipulation. Identifying sources of abnormal signals and determining the reason for the change should be addressed immediately and corrected accordingly.

Duke Scholars

Author Miriam Treggiari Anesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine