The Addicted Patient

As the use and abuse of drugs increases, the likelihood of an anesthesiologist encountering addicted patients perioperatively also will increase. Addicted patients may present for anesthetic care in a variety of circumstances: in obstetrics for labor or cesarian sections, in trauma for emergency surgeries, in lifesaving situations, and in everyday elective surgeries. Therefore, it is important for anesthesiologists to know about the most common illicit drugs being used, their clinical presentation and side effects, and to know what anesthetic options would be beneficial or detrimental for these patients.