Farmakoterapijske specifičnosti najčešćih anestetika u osoba starije životne dobi

Anaesthesia is a procedure which leads the patient to a state of insensitivity. lt is divided to general and local or regional anesthesia. General anesthetics can be divided into inhaled and intravenous, besides them opioid analgesics and neuromuscular blockers are also used in anesthesia. Whenever possible, regional anesthesia is preferred, especially in the elderly. The older population is considered to be all people over the age of 65. Aging is a progressive process characterized by changes in the structure and function of organs and tissues. The most significant changes occur in the cardiovascular, respiratory, nervous and hepatorenal system. Also the ability to regulate body temperature is reduced, what is the problem during surgical procedures. Pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties of drugs may change, resulting in greater sensitivity of geriatric patients to anesthetics, thereby increasing the risk of adverse effects. To achieve the same clinical effect as in younger subjects, dose reduction of general and local anesthetics, opioid analgetics, sedatives and neuromuscular blocking agents is required