Intraoperative anesthetic complications.

Intraoperative anesthetic complications can be prevented or minimized if the anesthetist is able to anticipate such problems in the preanesthetic period. Therefore, an adequate preanesthetic medical history that includes previous anesthetic experiences and past and current drug therapy is extremely important. Furthermore, the anesthetist must be properly trained to anticipate undesirable reactions to anesthetic agents. The signs of an impending disaster are subtle and nonspecific in the anesthetized patient. Therefore, continuous vigilance of the patient's physiologic status coupled with a high index of suspicion are essential to safe anesthetic management of dental patients.