Clinical conundrums in the management of common geriatric endocrine issues in the perioperative settings: A narrative review

Anaesthesiologists frequently encounter endocrine disorders in elderly patients, which can influence perioperative management and patient outcomes. They need to be well-versed in the management of these issues to prevent unnecessary delay in the care of the patient while also ensuring perioperative patient safety. The elderly often harbour evidence of endocrine disorders involving diabetes mellitus, adrenal and thyroid dysfunction. These comorbidities require early identification by a high index of suspicion and a thorough pre-operative assessment, pre-operative optimisation, and a well-planned intraoperative and post-operative management for good surgical outcomes. We conducted an e-literature search for studies specific to perioperative endocrine issues in the geriatric population. Our interpretation of this research and opinions obtained thereby are presented in this article. The article reinforces the importance of screening for pertinent medical endocrine problems in the perioperative period and their appropriate management.