Postanesthetic Shivering

Postanesthetic Shivering General Information

The clinical phrase “Postanesthetic Shivering” is known to define a medical illness that generally affects patients who have recently undergone a surgical procedure that required anesthesia. Clinical studies have shown that about 40 or 60 % of all patients who have received volatile anesthetic medications have developed this medical condition (tremor, shiver due to anesthesia). Young male adults are known to be more prone to developing this clinical illness, as the presence of this medical disorder was only rarely reported in the case of elderly individuals (as it is a well known fact that age leads to an impairment of the organism’s thermoregulatory control). The patient’s risk of developing this illness also depends on the length of the surgical procedure and / or on that of the anesthesia. Clinical studies have also shown that the use of Propofol (a quite common antibiotic) does not generally trigger this post-operative medical condition. However, if the patient has benefited from the use of Penthotal or any other halogenated agents he or she is more prone to developing Postanesthetic Shivering.

The cause of this post operative clinical illness is generally Hypothermia. This disease may be easily associated with the presence of further complications. For this reason, keeping the patient in normo-thermia is one of the main concerns of the physicians who have to deal with a similar clinical case. The best way to prevent experiencing this medical condition (or at least to diminish your risk of developing it) is to use an active rewarming system and to limit (as much as you can) the heat that is lost by your organism. For further information regarding the severity of this medical disorder, and for more details about the clinical pathopsychology of this disease, you should seek professional assistance.

Postanesthetic Shivering Symptoms

Various individuals who have undergone a particular surgical procedure for which they had to benefit from the use of an anesthetic medicine have experienced Postanesthetic Shivering. After studying various clinical cases of individuals who have been diagnosed with this post-operative medical illness, physicians have completed a list of the symptoms that may be experienced in such medical cases. For example, most patients who have been diagnosed with the presence of shivering due to anesthesia were complaining of clinical manifestations such as: increased pain, discomfort, abnormal feeling of cold, and so on. Most of them presented abnormally high oxygen consumption. This medical condition should not be treated with little care and / or attention. If the patient is not granted immediate therapy for his or her Postanesthetic Shivering he or she may experience some of the severe consequences that may be triggered by the presence of this clinical illness. One of the possible severe consequences of this disorder is the developing of cardiac morbidity. Increased minute ventilation is also a common complication that may arise in such clinical cases.

The severity of the patient’s clinical manifestations is known to be closely related to the severity of his or her medical condition. Not all patients are bound to experience all the symptoms and / or signs that we have listed here. This also depends on the severity of the individual’s Postanesthetic Shivering, on his or her age, sex, general health condition, clinical history, and so on. In order for the physician to adequately treat the individual’s shivering, he or she must first find out the true cause of the patient’s medical condition (determine whether the individual is suffering from non-thermo-regulated shivering or from thermo-regulated shivering).

Postanesthetic Shivering Treatment

In order for your personal health care provider to prescribe you an adequate therapy option that should suit your clinical condition best, it is important form him or her to discover the true, underlying cause of your clinical disorder (Postanesthetic Shivering). This will help him o her set a more detailed diagnosis and decide upon a proper therapy method.

There are various effective ways in which a patient can effectively deal with his or her medical disorder. However, the most common therapy options that are employed in the fight against this disorder (Postanesthetic Shivering) and other similar medical conditions is the intake of various types of medicines. After several studies, a set of medical products have proven to be very effective in the therapy against this medical condition. Tramadol is one of them. A therapy with this medicine is known to inhibit the organism’s reuptake of dopamine, NE, 5-HT and it is also able to facilitate the release of 5-HT. It actions concentrate on the pons. This medicine is an effective non-opioid analgesic with very powerful analgesic effects.

The intake of Nefropam is also widely employed in the therapy against this type of disorder (Postanesthetic Shivering). Its actions are similar to those of Tramadol, as a therapy with this medical product can also inhibit the reuptake of dopamine, NE, 5-HT and help the organism reach his or her normal body temperature. The effects of this medicine are of an analgesic nature. Some therapists prescribe their patients a therapy with Ketarensin, due to its anti-hypertensive effects. However, studies have shown that this medical product does not provide the individual with high efficacy against this medical disorder. The use of certain antagonists (like Ondensetron) may also prove to be an effective therapy option against Postanesthetic Shivering. Some patients who have received a therapy with Dexmedetomidine for their uncontrolled post-operative shiver have reported beneficial results.

These are not all the medicines that may be employed in the therapy against this medical condition. Other drugs that have proven useful in easing the patient’s symptoms and helping his or her body temperature re-reach normal values include: NMDA receptor antagonists (such as Magnesium Sulfate, Ketamine, and so on), Analeptic agents (such as Methylphenidate – which blocks the organism’s reuptake of 5-HT), cholinesterase inhibitors (such as Physostigmine), Doxapram, and so on. Before your health care provider prescribes you any of these medicines in your therapy against your Postanesthetic Shivering, he or she will want you to undergo a set of medical exams (allergy tests) in order to see whether you are not allergic to any of the clinical ingredients that are generally found in these medicines.