Perioperative considerations for patients exposed to hallucinogens.
Reg Anesth Pain Med December 2, 2024 Trent Emerick, Tetyana Marshall, Thomas Jeff Martin et al. 1 citation
Hallucinogen exposure, both acute and chronic, poses challenges for anesthesiologists because these substances can alter how anesthetic and analgesic medications work. This narrative review describes the wide variety of hallucinogens and psychedelics, noting that their mechanisms of action differ greatly—many increase serotonin levels or act on serotonergic receptors, while others work through N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonism or muscarinic receptor stimulation. As hallucinogen exposure rates rise, understanding these varied effects is important for optimizing perioperative management and reducing risks for patients.