Respiratory Considerations in the Elderly Surgical Patient

Abstract

The aged are at great risk for developing perioperative hypoxemia due to age-induced ventilation/perfusion abnormalities, underlying lung disease, the impact of anesthesia and surgery on FRC, or a combination of these and other factors. The physiologic basis of these various processes in the elderly has been presented along with suggestions for anesthetic management and postoperative care. When any intervention is planned, the frailty of these individuals should be recalled.