Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressively worsening disorder characterized by increased pulmonary vascular resistance leading to increased afterload, right ventricular hypertrophy, and ultimately right heart failure and death. Current pharmacologic treatments primarily act to reduce pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) and provide some benefit but do not cure PAH. Canonical vasodilator therapy involving the nitric oxide (NO)-soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC)-cGMP pathway has demonstrated efficacy, but in pathologic states, endothelial dysfunction within the pulmonary vasculature leads to the reduced synthesis and bioavailability of NO. Acting downstream of NO, sGC stimulators and activators restore the endogenous functions of NO and exploit the positive effects of sGC stimulation on various organ systems, including the heart. Riociguat (BAY 63-2521) is the first agent in a class of sGC stimulators to receive FDA approval for the treatment of PAH and chronic thromboembolic hypertension (CTEPH). Riociguat has demonstrated significant benefit as assessed by 6MWD, PVR, N-terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels, time to clinical worsening, World Health Organization (WHO) functional class, and other quality of life measures in clinical trials as a monotherapy and in combination with endothelin receptor antagonists or non-intravenous prostanoids. Riociguat is the first FDA-approved treatment option for inoperable or persistent CTEPH and adds a new effective drug to available treatment options for pulmonary hypertension (PH). The question of whether riociguat is superior to other available treatment options is unanswered at the present time and requires further study.

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In this study, we examined anesthetic records before and after the implementation of an electronic anesthetic record documentation (AIMS) in a single surgical population. The purpose of this study was to identify any inconsistencies in anesthetic care based on handwritten documentation (paper) or AIMS. We hypothesized that the type of anesthetic record (paper or AIMS) would lead to differences in the documentation and management of hypotension. Consecutive patients who underwent esophageal surgery between 2009 and 2014 by a single surgeon were eligible for the study. Patients were grouped in to 'paper' or 'AIMS' based on the type of anesthetic record identified in the chart. Pertinent patient identifiers were removed and data collated after collection. Predetermined preoperative and intraoperative data variables were reviewed. Consecutive esophageal surgery patients (N = 189) between 2009 and 2014 were evaluated. 92 patients had an anesthetic record documented on paper and 97 using AIMS. The median number of unique blood pressure recordings was lower in the AIMS group (median (Q1,Q3) AIMS 30.0 (24.0, 39.0) vs. Paper 35.0 (28.5, 43.5), p < 0.01). However, the median number of hypotensive events (HTEs) was higher in the AIMS group (median (Q1,Q3) 8.0 (4.0, 18.0) vs. 4.0 (1.0, 10.5), p < 0.001), and the percentage of HTEs per blood pressure recording was higher in the AIMS group (30.4 ((Q1, Q3) (9.5, 60.9)% vs. 12.5 (2.4, 27.5)%), p < 0.01). Multivariable regression analysis identified independent predictors of HTEs. The incidence of HTEs was found to increase with AIMS (IRR = 1.88, p < 0.01). Preoperative systolic blood pressure, increased blood loss, and phenylephrine. A phenylephrine infusion was negatively associated with hypotensive events (IRR = 0.99, p = 0.03). We noted an increased incidence of HTEs associated with the institution of an AIMS. Despite this increase, no change in medical therapy for hypotension was seen. AIMS did not appear to have an effect on the management of intraoperative hypotension in this patient population.

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