Safety and efficacy of intravenous clevidipine for the perioperative control of acute hypertension in neurosurgical patients: A dose update

Clevidipine is a third-generation dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker approved in 2008 by the Food and Drug Administration for parenteral therapy of arterial hypertension. The high degree of lipophilicity of clevidipine provides a rapid onset of action and ease of titration to reach the desired clinical effect. Since its introduction into clinical practice, clevidipine has been shown to be safe and effective for perioperative use in patients undergoing procedures in which rapid and effective blood pressure control is essential. In 2011, clevidipine received institutional approval for intraoperative use during neurosurgical procedures and for postoperative blood pressure control in the Post- Anesthesia Care Unit and Surgical Intensive Care Unit during the first 24 hours after surgery. This review describes the efficacy and safety of intravenous clevidipine in intraoperative blood pressure management during neurosurgical procedures in 11 patients over a period of 3 months. The evaluation revealed that lower rates of clevidipine infusion than previously documented in the literature achieved blood pressure control within the desired limits during surgery while avoiding dose-related adverse reactions.