Pre-anesthesia Evaluation and Risk Assessment in Adult Patient Candidates for Non-cardiac Surgery

The pre-anesthesia assessment includes all clinical evaluations that the anesthesiologist will perform to define the patient’s physical status, his/her eligibility for the most suitable anesthesia based on the planned surgery, intra- and postoperative management, the related risks, and the strategies to contain them. With a view to optimizing time and resources, the pre-anesthesia evaluation performed on a “prehospitalization” basis, i.e., on an outpatient basis a few days/weeks before admission for elective surgery, should be the gold standard. The assessment should be individualized for each patient, requiring appropriate diagnostic tests and/or specialist consultations and assessment on the basis of age, anesthesiological and surgical risk factors, and planned surgical procedure. Pre-anesthesia evaluation is always required when anesthesiological procedures are planned, including in case of Non-Operating Room Anesthesia (NORA) procedures; it may be omitted/limited only in some uncommon scenarios related to complex emergency situations.