„Notfallanästhesie“ beim hochbetagten Patienten

BACKGROUND: The share of elderly patients undergoing emergency surgery is constantly increasing. Their postoperative outcome remains poor, even if surgery itself is survived in the short or medium term.

OBJECTIVES: Important aspects of anesthesiologic care for older emergency patients based upon recent literature and guideline recommendations are presented.

METHODS: Selective review of the literature, considering national and international guidelines, meta-analysis and Cochrane reviews.

CONCLUSION: Anesthesiologic care can significantly influence the perioperative outcome of elderly emergency surgery patients. In this context, emergency anesthesiology exceeds mere anesthesia itself and applies to the overall perioperative management.