“…To increase safety in asthma and COPD patients, the anesthesiologist must take an adequate medical history and, when preoperative intervention is indicated, obtain early consultation and appropriate treatment. Preoperative evaluation of the patient includes: (1) activities of daily living (ADL) and physical status; (2) presence of infectious symptoms; (3) amount and purulence of sputum; (4) presence of allergies; (5) factors known to trigger attacks or exacerbations; (6) use and effectiveness of medications; (7) presence of late evening or early morning symptoms; (8) responses to cold air, house dust, and cigarette smoke; (9) previous history of surgery and anesthesia; (10) coexisting disorders (e.g., ischemic heart disease, renal failure, diabetes mellitus, neuromuscular disease); and (11) obesity or sleep apnea syndrome [1,2,32]. The GOLD 2006 guidelines emphasize that COPD not only involves the lungs but also represents a systemic infl ammatory disorder [2].…”