Principles of Neuro-anesthesia in Neurosurgery for Intensive Care Unit Nurses

Abstract

As neurosurgical interventions and procedures are advancing, so is the specialty of neuro-anesthesia. The neurosurgeon and the neuro-anesthetist are focused on providing each patient with the best possible outcome. Throughout the surgery, the main priorities of the neuro-anesthetist are patient safety, patient well-being, surgical field exposure, and patient positioning. Potential postoperative complications include nausea and vomiting. Postoperative visual loss is a complication of neurosurgery, most specifically spine surgery, whose origins are unknown. Postoperative considerations for the intensive care unit nurse should include receiving a thorough clinical handoff from the anesthesia provider to ensure care continuity and patient safety.

Keywords: Complications; Intraoperative management; Monitoring; Neuro-anesthesia; Positioning.