Intracranial Mass, Intracranial Pressure, Venous Air Embolism, And Autoregulation

INTRACRANIAL MASS, INTRACRANIAL PRESSURE, VENOUS AIR EMBOLISM, AND AUTOREGULATION

A 63-year-old woman with a brain tumor presents for bifrontal craniotomy in the supine position. She is neuro-logically intact but has had a recent onset of headaches, nausea, and blurred vision. The magnetic resonance imag-ing (MRI) scan has revealed a large meningioma near the sagittal sinus. Following induction of anesthesia and the start of surgery, the end-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO₂) starts to decrease and the patient becomes hypotensive.