The older surgical patient

Abstract

Upon completion of the chapter, the student will be able to: 1. Identify risk factors for perioperative complications in elderly surgical patients and recommend strategies to decrease this risk. 2. Understand the considerations specific to elderly patients regarding the use of anesthetic agents. 3. Identify the indications for perioperative noninvasive and invasive monitoring. 4. Understand the impact of the presence of common comorbid conditions on the management of the elderly surgical patient. 5. Assess nutritional status in the elderly surgical patient and recommend strategies to improve nutritional reserve. 6. Understand the risk for postoperative delirium and identify strategies to reduce its severity. © 2007 Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.