Anesthesia and Uncommon Diseases

The Pediatric Patient

Key Points ▪ Survival of the neonate depends on pulmonary vascular resistance transitioning from a high to a low state. PVR is increased by hypoxemia acidosis, hypothermia, and stress; inability to lower PVR in fetal circulation will not allow extrauterine…

The Geriatric Patient

Key points ▪ Patients with Huntington's disease are at higher risk of pulmonary aspiration, altered anesthetic pharmacology, and worsening generalized tonic spasms. Rapid-sequence induction with cricoid pressure is recommended for general anesthesia. ▪ Autonomic dysfunction from amyloidosis has dramatic perioperative…

Pregnancy and Obstetric Complications

Key points ▪ Airway changes throughout pregnancy worsen during labor and delivery as a result of mucosal edema. ▪ Anesthetic agents are not teratogenic; however, inhalation anesthetics and many intravenous agents may trigger developmental apoptosis and other neurologic insults that…

Burns

Key points ▪ The morbidity and mortality associated with burns vary with total area burned, depth of burn, presence of inhalation injury, and coexisting diseases. ▪ Adequate fluid resuscitation, appropriate analgesia, and early excision of wounds are vital to improve…

Trauma and Acute Care

Key points ▪ Trauma is the 10th leading cause of death globally (16,000 people daily). Motor vehicle crashes, firearms, poisoning, falls, and suffocation account for 81% of all trauma deaths. ▪ Every anesthesiologist will likely care for injured patients acutely…

Mineral, Vitamin, and Herbal Supplements

Key points ▪ With use of alternative medicines such as minerals, vitamins, and herbals increasing worldwide, the medical community needs a more comprehensive understanding of these agents. ▪ Anesthesiologists need to recognize the potential for bleeding, drug interactions, and end-organ…

Psychiatric and Behavioral Disorders

Key points ▪ An estimated 26.2% of Americans age 18 and older have a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year (58 million people). ▪ Mental disorders and their associated use of psychotropic medications, including antidepressants, anxiolytics, major tranquilizers, anticonvulsants,…

Mitochondrial Disease

Key points ▪ Oxidative phosphorylation is critical to aerobic cellular energy production. ▪ Five enzyme complexes make up the electron transport chain, encoded by nuclear DNA (nDNA) and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA). Mutations in mtDNA or nDNA can result in defective…

Diseases of the Endocrine System

Key points ▪ Anesthetic management of endocrine surgical patients should consider not only the organ of interest but also the end-organ consequences of the endocrine dysfunction and possible rare syndromes. ▪ Severe symptomatic hypercalcemia (especially > 14 mg/dL) constitutes a…

Infectious Diseases and Biologic Weapons

Key Points ▪ Patients with severe sepsis are at particular risk for hepatic and renal injuries. ▪ The major cardiovascular events in sepsis are vasoplegia, reduced stroke volume, and microcirculatory failure. ▪ Patients with multiorgan dysfunction syndrome (MODS) become confused,…