[The respiratory system and the elderly: anesthetic implications.].

Background And Objectives: Respiratory complications are responsible for a major number of elderly deaths after surgical procedures. Aging entails an important decrease in respiratory system functional reserves, while an increasing number of elderly people are being submitted to increasingly complex procedures. This study is a review of the respiratory system during aging and of anesthesia-induced changes in the elderly, emphasizing preoperative evaluation of respiratory function, postoperative pulmonary complications and details of anesthetic management.

Postanesthetic delirium.

Background And Objectives: Postanesthetic Delirium (PAD) is a common acute mental disorder most commonly developed in elderly patients. Its pathophysiology is poorly understood and PAD is often confused with others psychiatric disorders. This study aimed at reviewing important features of this anesthetic complication in geriatric patients.