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AAP Grand Rounds 6:31 (2001)
© 2001 American Academy of Pediatrics
| The first 20% of the full text of this article appears below. |
This paper reviews the history and development of the Bispectral Index Scale (BIS), a new monitor which is currently approved by the FDA and which is being used not only as a research tool but also, increasingly, as a routine monitor in operating rooms. The monitor, which is a processed EEG, is used to estimate the so-called "depth" of anesthesia, also called the degree of hypnosis. Balanced anesthesia consists of areflexia, analgesia and hypnosis. The adequacy of analgesia is determined by the presence or absence of autonomic and somatic responses to surgical stimuli, while hypnosis is considered satisfactory if patients have no awareness or recall of the surgical procedure.
The rationale for use of a processed EEG as a monitor of the depth of anesthesia derives from the theory of general anesthesia. It is thought that general anesthetic agents cause unconsciousness by depressing
| Anesthesiology, Childrens Hospital, Boston, MA |
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