Anesthesia for patients with respiratory disease and/or airway compromise

Because the airway extends from the oral or nasal cavity to the alveoli, airway compromise or respiratory disease has numerous manifestations. Complications can be encountered in both the upper and lower airways and include a vast range of problems including laryngeal paralysis, collapsing trachea, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax, intrathoracic masses and diaphragmatic hernias. Anesthesia can cause further complications because anesthetic drugs and equipment can exacerbate or even cause airway difficulties and respiratory compromise. When anesthetizing patients with respiratory disease or airway complications, the choice of the actual anesthetic drugs is not necessarily dictated by the presence of respiratory compromise, but rather by the overall health of the patient. The choice of anesthetic technique (e.g., method of induction, method of intubation, use of positive-pressure ventilation, etc.), on the other hand, is often critical.