Measurement and management of adult blood pressure in the peri‐operative period: updated guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists and the British and Irish Hypertension Society

Maintaining stable blood pressure during surgery is a key responsibility of anaesthetists. Peri-operative omission and reintroduction of antihypertensive drugs, general anaesthesia, neuraxial and regional techniques can all cause significant fluctuations in blood pressure, particularly in patients with hypertension. Since the first edition of this guideline there has been more literature regarding peri-operative management, but some areas still lack standardisation.

This was a planned update of the 2016 guidelines from the Association of Anaesthetists and British Hypertension Society: The measurement of adult blood pressure and management of hypertension before elective surgery. An expert working party was convened. We conducted a targeted literature review followed by a modified Delphi process to formulate recommendations.