Influence of Body Temperature on Bispectral Index-Guided Anesthetic Management in Off-Pump Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting

Background Perioperative hypothermia is not uncommon in surgical patients due to anesthetic-induced inhibition of thermoregulatory mechanisms and exposure of patients to cold environment in the operating rooms. Core temperature reduction up to 35°C is often seen in off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (OP-CABG) surgery. Anesthetic depth can be monitored by using bispectral (BIS) index. The present study was performed to evaluate the influence of mild hypothermia on the anesthetic depth using BIS monitoring and correlation of BIS with end-tidal anesthetic concentration at varying temperatures during OP-CABG. Materials and Methods In a prospective observational study design in a tertiary care teaching hospital, patients who underwent elective OP-CABG under endotracheal general anesthesia, were included in the study. Standard technique of anesthesia was followed. BIS, nasopharyngeal temperature, and end-tidal anesthetic concentration of inhaled isoflurane was recorded every 10 minutes. The BIS was adjusted to between 45 and 50 during surgery. Results There were 40 patients who underwent OP-CABG during the study period. The mean age was 51.2 ± 8.7 years, mean body mass index 29.8 ± 2.2, and mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 55.4 ± 4.2%. Anesthetic requirement as guided by BIS between 45 and 50 correlated linearly with core body temperature (r = 0.999; p < 0.001). The mean decrease in the body temperature at the end of 300 minutes was 2.2°C with a mean decrease in end-tidal anesthetic concentration of 0.29%. The reduction in end-tidal anesthetic concentration per degree decrease in temperature was 0.13%. None of the patients reported intraoperative recall. Conclusion In this study, BIS monitoring was used to guide the delivery concentration of inhaled anesthetic using a targeted range of 45 to 50. BIS monitoring allowed the appropriate reduction of anesthetic dosing requirements in patients undergoing OP-CABG without risk of awareness. There was a significant reduction in anesthetic requirements associated with reduction of core temperature. The routine use of BIS is recommended in OP-CABG to titrate anesthetic requirement during occurrence of hypothermia and facilitate fast-track anesthesia in this patient population.