Basic pharmacology of anesthetic agents

Anesthesiologists prescribe, prepare, and administer medications during the perioperative period to facilitate patient safety while optimizing surgical conditions. The vast majority of these medications, unfortunately, have significant and potentially life-threatening side effects. Comprehension of these concepts can facilitate and impact operating conditions for the otolaryngologist, improve turnover efficiency in the operating room, and help to prevent surgical complications. Therefore, it is of paramount importance for the otolaryngologist to have a working understanding of the agents administered by anesthesiologists while they operate.