Effects on the Condition of the Patient

Shock and toxic airway injury can produce ventilation-perfusion inequality, which affects preoxygenation for emergency induction. The respiratory uptake of anesthetic vapors and alveolar ventilation are affected by degrees of shunt and pulmonary edema. The action of toxic agents may be expected to alter the balance and flow of general anesthesia and may cause delays in recovery, which necessitates manpower-intensive management. In terms of postoperative intensive care, patients who have been exposed to pulmonary edemagens and to organophosphates may pose the greatest problem.