Echographic study of the optic nerve during anesthesia

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Abstract
At present an exact measurement of intraorbital optic nerve diameter is possible by using standardized A-scan echography. Measurements are made with an accuracy of 0.4 µsec for the anterior orbit and ± 0.6 µsec for the posterior orbit. In addition, it is known that some types of anesthetic cause modifications in the intracranial pressure. The authors evaluated the effect of a number of anesthesiological techniques on the intracranial pressure by measuring the optic nerve diameter within the orbit. The results demonstrate a significant increase in the optic nerve diameter in patients subjected to anesthesia with premedication of atropine and diazepam in combination with intravenously administered ketamine. The type of anesthetic should be specified in case of biometry of the optic nerve if these measurements are performed under general anesthesia.