Between 2% and 5% of the population suffer from bronchial asthma. The disease is characterized by bronchial hyperreactivity to physical, chemical, pharmacological, and/or immunological irritants. The incidence of perioperative complications is higher in asthmatics than in non-asthmatics. Careful pre- and postoperative care can reduce complications in these patients. Successful management of an asthmatic patient undergoing anesthesia starts with the identification of patients with asthma, the preoperative assessment, and evaluation of the pulmonary function. No elective surgery should be performed in patients suffering from unstable asthma or an acute attack. Thorough knowledge of the effects and interactions of broncholytic therapy with anesthesia is mandatory. Preanesthetic management must take into consideration the etiology of the disease; intraoperatively, attention must be paid to the pathophysiology. Appropriate perioperative monitoring can help to prevent complications. No one type of anesthesia is associated with lower postoperative complications. The skill of the anesthesiologist, early recovery from general anesthesia, and good postoperative care greatly reduce the incidence of complications. Besides the changes in pulmonary function that occur following anesthesia and surgery, asthmatics may suffer from abnormalities in control of ventilation and mucociliary function postoperatively. The patient with a history of asthma needs close supervision during the postoperative period: many sudden deaths from asthma and many episodes of ventilatory arrest occur during the night and in the early morning.
