Correlation BIS Scores Mentally Retarded Patients
Correlation BIS Scores Mentally Retarded Patients
The BIS monitor is a tool which assists anesthesiologists in monitoring the depth of
 anesthesia or level of anesthesia. The study doctors would like to see if it is useful tool
 for patients who are mentally challenged and require anesthesia.
General endotracheal tube anesthesia (GETA) is administered for mentally retarded patients
 that need dental rehabilitation. GETA is done, in all patients, with routine monitoring of
 electrocardiography, blood pressure recording, pulse oximetry and end-tidal capnography.
 These measurements are also used indirectly to determine the depth of anesthesia and the
 anesthetic is titrated to prevent awareness during surgery and any subsequent recall (1). In
 addition, a recently introduced functional electroencephalography (EEG)-based awareness
 monitor directly analyzes the brain wave pattern during anesthetic delivery and aids the
 anesthesiologist in maintaining the ideal depth of anesthesia. The EEG based monitor serves
 to prevent awareness and recall due to light anesthesia or prolonged recovery following deep
 anesthesia (2). This instrument, named the Bispectral Index Scale (BIS) monitor, is
 non-invasive and is approved by the Food & Drug Administration. However, the BIS monitor is
 not being used routinely during the anesthetic management of mentally retarded patients due
 to a belief that such monitoring would be inaccurate in this cohort of patients (3). This
 assumption lacks scientific validation. Our trial will investigate the usefulness of BIS
 monitoring in mentally retarded patients and document any correlation between the severity of
 mental retardation and BIS scoring during various phases of anesthesia, such as awake status
 and sedation prior to anesthesia, induction and maintenance of anesthesia, and emergence and
 recovery from anesthesia. The anesthetic protocol will be standardized and the anesthetic
 management will not deviate from routine practice. The adjuvant therapies for infection
 prophylaxis and pain control will be administered in the usual fashion.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  mentally retarded persons ages 12 to 65 undergoing dental rehabilitation

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  patients who are pregnant parents/and or legal guardians who do not wish to give
 consent