Learning objectives
- Describe the general considerations for patients with genetic disorders
Background
- Genetic syndromes are defined as the occurrence of more than one recognizable phenotypic trait in a specific association, caused by a specific genetic defect
- As molecular diagnosis is advancing rapidly, increasingly more syndromes are found to have a genetic cause
- Many children with genetic syndromes require anesthesia as part of their treatment
Anesthetic considerations
Suggested reading
- Mann D, Garcia PJ, Andropoulos DB. Anesthesia for the Patient with a Genetic Syndrome. Gregory’s Pediatric Anesthesia2020. p. 1085-105.
Clinical updates
Zaleski et al. (Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2025) identify genetic syndromes as an independent risk factor for vascular complications (arterial thrombosis, pulse loss) during central arterial line placement in pediatric cardiac surgery. This directly reinforces a key general principle in syndromic patients: abnormal vascular anatomy, fragility, and altered physiology increase procedural risk, requiring modified anesthetic and monitoring strategies.
- Read more about this study HERE.
