Author(s): Matthew Thimm, Kendrick Shaw

The American Society of Anesthesiologists’ (ASA) statement on the continuum of depth of sedation defines general anesthesia as “a drug-induced loss of consciousness during which patients are not arousable, even by painful stimulation.” The goal of general anesthesia is to produce unconsciousness, amnesia, immobility, and analgesia while a surgical procedure is performed. To achieve this goal, patients under general anesthesia often require intervention to maintain a patent airway, ventilate adequately, and maintain appropriate cardiovascular function. In this chapter, we will summarize the indications for general anesthesia, preoperative evaluation, intraoperative management, and relevant side effects of general anesthesia in the intraoperative and postoperative periods.