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Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain 2004 4(6):193-196; doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkh052
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Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain | Volume 4 Number 6 2004 © The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia 2004

Perioperative care of the elderly

David Murray, Consultant Anaesthetist
Cleveland School of Anaesthesia, James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW

Chris Dodds, Consultant Anaesthetist
Cleveland School of Anaesthesia, James Cook University Hospital, Marton Road, Middlesbrough, TS4 3BW
Tel: 01642 854601, Fax: 01642 854626, E-mail: chrisdodds{at}stees.nhs.uk (for correspondence)

In the Western population, 15% are >65 yr old, and half will undergo surgery within the remainder of their lifetime. There are few anaesthetic techniques that are used in younger adults that cannot be used to anaesthetise the elderly patient. However, even in the absence of a specific organ-based disease process, anaesthesia for the elderly may require an alteration in technique to take account of age-related changes to normal physiology. It is vital to consider the effects that the ageing process, the active disease process and any residual effects of previous illness have had on the elderly patient and tailor the anaesthetic technique accordingly. The following comments relate to elective elderly patients, or emergency patients who have been appropriately resuscitated after admission. There are very little data to support the attempt to achieve optimal resuscitation using assessment of cardiac output and oxygen delivery. Several studies with small numbers of patients have been quoted, but the very heterogeneous nature of the elderly makes extrapolation from these difficult.


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 Oxford Handbook of AnaesthesiaHome page
Chapter 31 Anaesthesia for the elderly
Oxford Handbook of Anaesthesia, January 1, 2006; 2(1): med-9780198566090-chapter - med-9780198566090-chapter.
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