| REVIEW ARTICLE |
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| Year : 2009 | Volume
: 57
| Issue : 4 | Page : 375--380 |
Management of the trigeminocardiac reflex: Facts and own experience
Belachew Arasho1, Nora Sandu2, Toma Spiriev3, Hemanshu Prabhakar4, Bernhard Schaller3
1 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Paris, France, and Department of Neurology, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia
2 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Lausanne, Switzerland
3 Department of Neurosurgery, University of Paris, France
4 Department of Neuroanesthesiology, Neurosciences Center, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
Correspondence Address:
Bernhard Schaller
Department of Neurosurgery, University of Paris
France
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/0028-3886.55577
The trigeminocardiac reflex (TCR) is defined as the sudden onset of parasympathetic dysrhythmia, sympathetic hypotension, apnea, or gastric hyper-motility during stimulation of any of the sensory branches of the trigeminal nerve. The proposed mechanism for the development of TCR is-the sensory nerve endings of the trigeminal nerve send neuronal signals via the Gasserian ganglion to the sensory nucleus of the trigeminal nerve, forming the afferent pathway of the reflex arc. It has been demonstrated that the TCR may occur with mechanical stimulation of all the branches of the trigeminal nerve anywhere along its course (central or peripheral). The reaction subsides with cessation of the stimulus. But, some patients may develop severe bradycardia, asystole, and arterial hypotension which require intervention. The risk factors already known to increase the incidence of TCR include: Hypercapnia; hypoxemia; light general anesthesia; age (more pronounced in children); the nature of the provoking stimulus (stimulus strength and duration); and drugs: Potent narcotic agents (sufentanil and alfentanil); beta-blockers; and calcium channel blockers. Because of the lack of full understanding of the TCR physiology, the current treatment options for patients with TCR include: (i) risk factor identification and modification; (ii) prophylactic measures; and (iii) administration of vagolytic agents or sympathomimetics.
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