Key Points ▪ Difficult airways are more frequently encountered in patients undergoing ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery, especially for cancer. Reviewing the results of a preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan or an endoscopic airway examination may help identify pathologic…
▪ Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, and tornadoes have the ability to cause massive interruptions in the normal provision of health care. ▪ Anesthesiologists possess a combination of knowledge and procedural skills that make them extremely valuable…
Key Points ▪ After World War II, the subspecialty of prehospital emergency medicine evolved with leadership from doctors in anesthesiology. In many countries, prehospital emergency medicine is considered the fourth pillar along with anesthesiology, critical care, and pain therapy. ▪…
Key Points ▪ Perioperative anesthesia care for patients who have undergone acute trauma depends on an understanding of trauma system design and surgical priorities. ▪ Successful emergency airway management is based on having a clear plan, such as the American…
Key Points ▪ The proportion of adults over age 70 has increased throughout the world with a corresponding increase in older surgical patients. ▪ Normal aging is associated with changes in physiology and an increase in many pathologic conditions. ▪…
Key Points ▪ Most fetal anomalies are not appropriate for in utero treatment. A condition appropriate for fetal treatment should cause ongoing irreversible harm to the fetus that is mitigable by early treatment before the fetus can tolerate ex utero…
Key Points ▪ The normal physiologic changes of pregnancy begin in the first trimester, affect all organ systems, and alter pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic responses to many drugs commonly used in anesthesia. ▪ Maternal-fetal exchange of most drugs and other substances…
Key Points ▪ The shortage of organs available for transplantation is a worldwide problem. ▪ The discrepancy between the number of patients waiting for organ transplantation and the available organs remains significant, but has narrowed since 2013. ▪ Most organs…
Key Points ▪ Survival after abdominal organ transplantation continues to improve. ▪ The imbalance between organ supply and demand is increasing as new indications emerge and transplantation is offered to growing numbers of older candidates. ▪ To increase the supply…
Key Points ▪ Innervation of the intraabdominal components of the genitourinary system—the kidney and the ureter—is primarily thoracolumbar (T8-L2). The nerve supply of the pelvic organs—the bladder, prostate, seminal vesicles, and urethra—is primarily lumbosacral with some lower thoracic input. ▪…