Educational Blog about Anesthesia, Intensive care and Pain management

Oculo-cardiac Reflex and Oculo-respiratory Reflex

Oculo-cardiac Reflex and Oculo-respiratory Reflex

1-Oculo-cardiac Reflex

Definition:

Bradycardia following traction on the extraocular muscles, especially the medial rectus.

The reflex is particularly active in children. Bradycardia may be severe and may lead to asystole. Other arrhythmias may occur, e.g. ventricular ectopics or junctional rhythm.

Bradycardia may also follow pressure on/or around the eye, fixation of facial fractures, retrobulbar block (pressure associated with local infiltration), ocular trauma, or manipulation of tissue in orbital apex after enucleation,...etc. The reflex has been used to stop SVT with an eyeball massage.

Pathway: (Figure 1)

Afferent pathways are via the trigeminal nerve (ciliary ganglion to the ophthalmic division of trigeminal nerve to Gasserian ganglion to the main trigeminal sensory nucleus).; efferents are via the vagus nerve (afferents synapse with the visceral motor nucleus of the vagus nerve located in the reticular formation and efferents travel to the heart and decrease output from the sinoatrial node).

Prophylaxis:

Reduced by anticholinergic drugs administered as premedication or on induction of anesthesia.

Management:

If it occurs, surgery should stop, and atropine or glycopyrrolate should be administered.

Retrobulbar block does not reliably prevent it; local infiltration of the muscles has been used instead.

Figure 1: Oculo-cardiac Reflex Pathway


2-Oculo-respiratory Reflex

Definition:

Hypoventilation following traction on the external ocular muscles. Reduced respiratory rate, reduced tidal volume, or irregular ventilation may occur.

Pathway:

Thought to involve the same afferent pathways as the oculocardiac reflex, but with efferents via the respiratory centers.

Heart rate may be unchanged, and the reflex is unaffected by atropine.