Geriatric anesthesia implications

The geriatric patient will continue to pose challenges during the perianesthesia period. By age 80, the older adult has experienced many physiological and anatomical changes, many starting during the 4th decade of life. Changes in tissue mass and function in major organ systems demand special perianesthetic care planning to optimize patient outcomes. Understanding the physiology of aging will assist the perianesthesia nurse in planning perianesthesia care for their patients. Consequently, emphasis should be placed on cautious preanesthesia screening and evaluation, so that astute diagnosis and treatment of comorbid diseases are thoughtfully considered in relationship to the type of anesthesia when caring for the postanesthesia patient. For this article the term geriatric refers to those persons 65 years of age or older.