Incidence of Intraoperative Hypotension as a Function of the Chosen Definition

Abstract
INTRAOPERATIVE hypotension (IOH) is a common and frequent side effect of anesthesia.1,2 Previously, IOH was reported to be independently associated with adverse perioperative outcomes in several clinical settings, and even an association between IOH and long-term (1-year) mortality was reported.3–7 These findings have important clinical and medicolegal consequences. Perioperative stroke, for example, has often been attributed to IOH,8–11 although Limburg et al. 12 were unable to find an association between IOH and postoperative stroke. Furthermore, IOH was recently reported to be one of the most important concerns associated with the occurrence of postoperative myocardial ischemia and infarction.13