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Disclaimer: This article is intended solely for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice.   Older adults make up a growing share of the surgical population, and many arrive in preoperative clinics with cognitive changes that have never been formally recognized. Preoperative cognitive decline, whether established dementia or subtle, undiagnosed impairment, is independently associated with longer-term

Methoxyflurane is a fluorinated volatile anesthetic that has been repurposed as a low-dose inhaled analgesic for the treatment of moderate to severe acute trauma-related pain. Although it was once used as a general anesthetic, that indication was abandoned after prolonged exposure to high doses was linked to dose-dependent nephrotoxicity and occasional hepatotoxicity. Consequently, methoxyflurane is no longer approved

Mepivacaine is one of the most commonly utilized intermediate-acting local anesthetics in regional anesthesia due to its rapid onset, favorable safety profile, and predictable recovery characteristics. It is frequently selected for ambulatory surgery, peripheral nerve blocks, and shorter duration procedures where prolonged sensory or motor blockade is undesirable. Anesthesiologists must be able to titrate the

Although airway manipulation is an essential component of anesthesia and emergency medicine, it carries a recognized risk of injury to the mouth. Procedures such as endotracheal intubation, direct laryngoscopy, and the insertion of supraglottic airway devices can result in trauma to the teeth, lips, tongue, gums, and temporomandibular joint, especially in emergent settings in which speed can save

Sleep is an essential component of postoperative recovery. Sleep disturbance is a common postoperative complication that can interfere with recovery and contribute to additional complications. However, it may represent a modifiable risk factor that can be addressed to improve postoperative outcomes (Chouchou et al., 2020).  There are several reasons patients experience difficulty sleeping after surgery. The hospital

Major noncardiac surgery is associated with a substantial risk of perioperative cardiovascular complications, which contribute significantly to postoperative morbidity and mortality. Globally, more than 300 million surgical procedures are performed annually, and surgical interventions account for a large proportion of hospitalizations worldwide (1). Patients undergoing noncardiac surgery with advanced age and cardiovascular comorbidities are at

For decades, ketamine has been used as an anesthetic agent, but more recently, it has also been employed in carefully supervised treatments for treatment-resistant depression. However, outside medical settings, ketamine is sometimes misused as a recreational drug. Repeated or high-dose exposure can have serious urological effects—a problem now widely known as ketamine-associated uropathy or ketamine

The widespread use of herbal and dietary supplements poses ongoing challenges in perioperative medicine. Surveys suggest that up to half of surgical patients use these products, yet fewer than 40% disclose this information to their healthcare providers. This puts patients at risk for avoidable complications under anesthesia. Though marketed as “natural,” these supplements can influence

Obesity poses significant challenges to anesthesia management and increases the risk of complications. On average, as body mass index (BMI) increases, so does the likelihood of complications involving the airway, the respiratory system, cardiovascular stability, and anesthetic pharmacology. Understanding how these risk factors vary across different levels of obesity enables anesthesia providers to implement appropriate

Peripheral nerve blocks (PNBs) are regional anesthetic techniques in which local anesthetics are injected near specific peripheral nerves to selectively block sensory and/or motor transmission within a defined anatomical region. In clinical practice, PNBs may be used as the primary anesthetic method for surgeries involving the upper or lower extremities, such as shoulder, arm, forearm,