Preoperative Pulmonary Evaluation.

The preanesthesia evaluation is an opportunity to elucidate a patient's underlying medical disease, determine if the patient is optimized, treat modifiable conditions, screen for potentially unrecognized disorders, and present the clear picture of the patient's overall risk for perioperative complications. This article presents the preoperative assessment of pulmonary patients in 2 sections. First, the components of a thorough assessment of patients presenting for preanesthesia evaluation, which should occur for all patients, regardless of the presence of pulmonary pathology, are discussed. Then, the considerations unique to patients with pulmonary diseases commonly encountered are described.