Diagnosed in operating room with hypertension: a widespread but unseen affliction

The present study aims to describe a widely held misconception in the literature concerning preoperative hypertension diagnosis. The blood pressure elevation occurring in the operative room is seen commonly even in subjects considered hitherto fully normotensive. As these patients have a condition which - similar to White Coat Hypertension (WCH) - indicates the presence of hypertension, and thus necessitates more frequent intraoperative checks.

We have named a condition 'Diagnosed in Operating Room (DIOR) with Hypertension', following the preoperative stage at which it is detected.

Our observational study evaluated 718 elective noncardiac surgery adult patients, finding 28% of them (n = 204) to be 'DIOR-tensive' and thus at risk for suboptimal intraoperative care.

In addition to recommending a modification to the domain's best practices, we provide a preliminary description of DIOR hypertension patient identifying characteristics (older, higher body weight and BMI, and higher rates of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, hypothyroidism and obesity), so that DIOR hypertension patients may be more readily identified, and that future research may build on the findings, and that the operating team may remain generally aware that this problem can occur and be dealt with regardless of the patient's medical history.