A Review of Non-Cardiac Complications of General Anesthesia: The Current State of Knowledge

General anesthesia, despite the constant development of anesthesiology, still carries certain risks. To provide safe anesthesia, it is crucial to properly qualify patients and to react in an appropriate manner when problems occur. It is therefore essential to have knowledge of risk factors, pathophysiology, symptoms, and management patterns regarding complications. This review comprehensively describes respiratory complications such as airway spasm, conditions leading to intraoperative hypoxemia, postoperative pulmonary complications (PPC), and complications of cross airway compromise, from aspects including respiratory complications and mechanical injuries. Moreover, events characteristic of this type of anesthesia, such as anaphylaxis, postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV), neurological complications, accidental awakening during general anesthesia (AAGA), hypothermia, and malignant hyperthermia (MH), have been included. Each complication is elaborated on in terms of risk groups and factors, symptoms, and prevention and treatment options, taking into account the interrelationship of particular conditions. Although that issue is well reported in the literature, this review, in addition to a comprehensive summary of the most important non-cardiovascular and hemodynamic complications, takes into account the latest findings on methods of prevention, diagnosis, and intraoperative monitoring. The article combines a comprehensive compilation of basic information on the most significant complications, including their diagnosis and methods of intervention, along with consideration of the latest scientific developments and indication of future research directions. This review is based on the most recent articles possible, published between 2006 and 2024.