The practice of anesthesiology has always been associated with technological advancements. Innovations in the 19th century, such as the development of the sphygmomanometer and the esophageal stethoscope, gave the earliest anesthesiologists new abilities to accurately assess blood pressure, respiration, and cardiac rhythm. It is unlikely that these pioneers would recognize the modern OR, with its dizzying array of machines and monitors that give 21st century anesthesiologists capabilities our 19th century counterparts could scarcely imagine. In this article, we will provide a brief overview and consideration of several innovative intraoperative monitoring technologies that may further expand the capabilities of the next generation of anesthesiologists.
Integration of real-time monitoring of brain function during anesthesia is an area of increasing focus. While full montage EEG is considered the gold standard for brain activity monitoring, it requires interpretation of raw data and is too time-intensive for routine OR use. Alternatively, EEG patterns...