Risk factors and implications of anaesthesia induced hypotension

This thesis studied haemodynamic perturbation in the perioperative and intensive care settings. The aims of the chapters were to:

·         Evaluate the implications of the use of different thresholds of hypotension in perioperative haemodynamic research. (Chapter 2)

·         Provide an overview of the echocardiographic changes in cardiac function due to general anaesthesia and intermittent positive pressure ventilation. (Chapter 3)

·         Determine the modifiable risk factors in anaesthesia induction for post-induction hypotension. (Chapter 4)

·         Explore whether time of day of anaesthesia induction affects the incidence of haemodynamic instability. (Chapter 5)

·         Compile the literature on biological sex as a risk factor of post-induction and intra-operative hypotension. (Chapter 6)

·         Investigate the performance of a hypotension-prediction algorithm in spontaneously breathing patients without ventilatory support in the post-operative and intensive care settings. (Chapter 7)

·         Chapter 9 discusses the implications of the aforementioned research and the avenues for future research that remain.