BMC anesthesiology
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Patients who use angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEIs)/angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs) are prone to developing side effects like hypotension and even refractory hypotension during anesthesia use, and whether ACEIs/ARBs should be continued or discontinued in such patients remains debatable. The present systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted to clarify the consequences of continuing or withholding these drugs, especially with regards to the incidence of intraoperative hypotension, in patients who continue to use ACEIs/ARBs on the day of their scheduled surgery. ⋯ No sufficient available evidence to recommend discontinuing ACEIs/ARBs on the day of surgery was found in this literature review and meta-analysis. However, anesthetists should be cautious about the risk for intraoperative hypotension in patients chronically receiving ACEIs/ARBs, and should know how to treat it effectively.