High Altitude and Anesthesia

Abstract

Anesthesia in any abnormal environment, such as high altitude, is a challenge for all anesthesiologists. To have safe anesthesia at that time, the pathophysiological changes in both the unacclimatized and acclimatized patients at high altitude, which include pulmonary hyperventilation, polycythemia, rising pulmonary blood volume, pulmonary hypertension, and increase in diffusion capacity, are to be considered in preanesthetic checkup.