An alarm is a prompt. When blood pressure falls during anaesthesia, check the arterial trace, the patient's usual pressure, volume status, anaesthetic depth and surgical events before reaching for a vasopressor. A damped line or a transducer at the wrong level can mimic hypotension.
- Confirm the waveform and transducer level when a reading is unexpected.
- Compare against the patient's baseline, not only a fixed threshold.
- Look for a cause: depth, volume, bleeding, surgical traction, drug effect.
- Treat early and record the response.
Why it matters
Alarms reduce delay but do not replace identifying why pressure has fallen.
Read the rest in the app
You have read your two free briefings this month. The app carries all 27 specialties, every morning, free — and this finding is waiting in it.
Scan to keep reading on your phone. No account needed to start.
Tomorrow morning, before your first patient
One edition a day for anaesthesiology, written by the desk, every claim tied to its paper. Six minutes.
Get the app — free