J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 62(8): 837-848, 1961

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STUDIES OF POSTOPERATIVE TACHYCARDIA

When patient's pulse rate is more than 100 in a minute postoperatively, the author calls it postoperative tachycardia. The author investigates this tachycardia in 976 radical operations of the gastrointestinal disease which were done during recent 2 years. in the Nakayama's clinic. The author divided this tachycardia into 3 types, severe, middle and slight according to the pulse rate and the duration of tachycardia.
The postoperative tachycardia were 517 cases (58%) in which 419 cases (43%) were slight, 63 cases (7%) were middle and 35 cases (3%) were severe.
The author found more postoperative tachycardia in the patients who had abnormal electrocardiogram preoperatively than in other patients.
The incidence of postoperative tachycardia was highest in operation which needed thoracotomy, middle in operarion of the upper abdomen and lowest in operation of the lower abdomen. The incidence of this tachycardia was very high in the patients who had postoperative complication, specially in the lung and in suturied places.
In postoperative tachycardia most cases were sinus tachycardia. Paroximal tachycardia, auricular flattering and venticular flattering were very rare.
The degree of tachycardia is significant in making prognosis ; in severe postoperative tachycardia the death rate were 44%, in middle tachycardia 13%, in slight tachycardia 0.2%.
Complete preopertive investigrtion and preparation, simplication of operation and blockage of the vagus nerve by procaine are very important for its prevention.
If its trigger or causes indicate surgical intervation, it should be done.
(Author's abstract)

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