Understanding the risks of anaesthesia
Anaesthesia is generally very safe, but risk is never zero. The single most important driver of risk is the patient’s underlying health
(e.g., ASA Physical Status, frailty, heart/lung disease), followed by the procedure (minor day-case vs major emergency surgery),
and the type of anaesthesia (general, regional, neuraxial, sedation).
Risk is individualized: patient + procedure + context
Most perioperative deaths are due to disease/surgery, not the anaesthetic itself
Serious anaesthesia-attributable mortality in high‑income settings is very low
Start here: ASA class and why health status matters most
What ASA I–VI means, what it does and does not predict, and how emergency surgery changes risk.
Go to ASA & risk stratification
General vs regional vs local vs sedation
Benefits, trade-offs, and when a “lighter” technique is safer—or not.
Go to types of anaesthesia
Airway emergencies and aspiration
Difficult airway concepts (CICO, eFONA), fasting, and newer issues like GLP‑1 agonists.
Go to airway & aspiration
Awareness and depth monitoring (e.g., BIS)
How common awareness is, who is at higher risk, and what monitoring can and can’t do.
Go to awareness & monitoring
Environmental footprint of anaesthetic choices
Why desflurane and nitrous oxide are climate-intensive, and practical alternatives.
Go to environmental impact