The effectiveness of labetalol in treating postoperative hypertension

During the postanesthesia recovery period, surgical patients often exhibit an increased arterial blood pressure. Although these transient increases in blood pressure are usually benign, significant morbidity and mortality may result from complications of postoperative hypertension. The purpose of this study was twofold: to determine the frequency of postoperative hypertension in one particular recovery room, and to determine the efficacy of labetalol as an antihypertensive drug in this setting. This study included both a retrospective and prospective component. The retrospective portion involved review of 465 records of patients admitted to the recovery room at a large, private eastern medical college. Nearly 20% of patients admitted were found to have blood pressures in the range of our study's criteria for hypertension. Records were also reviewed for types of therapeutic interventions used to treat hypertension and determinations of their success or failure. The prospective portion of the study evaluated treatment protocols for postoperative hypertension with graduated intravenous injections of labetalol in 30 patients. Blood pressure was effectively controlled with an average of 25 minutes for all patients and remained effective for 24 hours postoperatively.