[Smoking and anesthetic implications].

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Smoking is becoming very important for anesthetic morbidity. In spite of its widespread noxious effects on health, developing countries have increasing statistics on smoking population. This review aimed at showing action mechanisms and effects of cigarettes on different organs and systems, and their impact on physiology, preoperative risk and management of smokers during preanesthetic preparation, in addition to postoperative complications. CONTENTS: Several action mechanisms of cigarettes and their components on organ and systems, organic consequences and the anesthetic approach to decrease perioperative morbidity in those patients are presented.
CONCLUSIONS: Smoking history in preanesthetic evaluation should be highly valued and preventive measures should be taken with regard to systemic effects, thus minimizing surgical and anesthetic risks.