Anesthetic management of a “Supercentenarian” (Oldest living person on Earth) posted for an emergency surgery

With the rise in living standards and evolution of science, there is a rise in life expectancy world over. This demographic transition has led to a rise in older persons, increasing the dependency ratios and “demographic burden.” Management of such old patients requires special considerations and un...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ram M Sharma, Anurag Garg, Badal Parikh
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
Series:Saudi Journal of Anaesthesia
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.saudija.org/article.asp?issn=1658-354X;year=2020;volume=14;issue=4;spage=531;epage=534;aulast=Sharma
Description
Summary:With the rise in living standards and evolution of science, there is a rise in life expectancy world over. This demographic transition has led to a rise in older persons, increasing the dependency ratios and “demographic burden.” Management of such old patients requires special considerations and understanding as aging is a physiological phenomenon in which the functional capacity of organs decreases due to degenerative changes in the structure. An important aspect to remember in Geriatric Anesthesia is that in spite of adequate compensatory mechanisms for age-related changes, there is a limitation of physiological reserve, especially in stressful circumstances like perioperative period. Geriatric patients are more sensitive to all medications and anesthetic agents. Lesser amount of drug is required to achieve the desired clinical effect, but have a prolonged effect. This elderly but well-preserved patient, possibly a case of small gut obstruction was posted for emergency laparoscopy and proceed. Seeing his age and easy friability, a well-planned preoperative assessment and optimization was done prior to wheeling him into operation theater. Administration of short-acting anesthetic drugs in titrated quantities and awareness about postoperative cognitive dysfunction (POCD) helped us to get better and faster recovery in the patient.
ISSN:1658-354X