Emergencias cardiacas en pacientes neuroquirúrgicos

Abstract

Cardiac emergencies in neurosurgical patients (ECPNQ) have been recently studied because their occurrence generates high morbidity and mortality. We understand as ECPNQ ventricular fibrillation, pulseless electrical activity, cardiac arrest, asystole, and severe bradycardia, and can be classified according to the location of neurosurgery at the time of occurrence. However, different pathophysiological mechanisms explain the appearance of each emergency, such as neural reflexes, increased parasympathetic tone, and venous air embolism. Management lies in controlling and balancing the cause of the emergency and sometimes cardiopulmonary resuscitation considering the position in which the patient is, as this affects the prognosis and outcome.