Autism and Anaesthesia: A Simple Framework for Everyday Practice – Science Direct

Learning objectives
By reading the full article you should be able to:

• Explain the specific challenges faced by autistic patients presenting for anaesthesia.
• Recognise when patients of all ages may be autistic.
• Perform an autism-aware preoperative assessment.
• Optimise communication and provide reasonable adjustments for autistic patients.

Key points

• At least 1–2% of people are autistic. Most are adults without intellectual disability. Many are unrecognised.
• Autistic people are more likely to have co-occurring medical conditions; they experience well-described barriers to healthcare, adverse health outcomes and premature mortality.
• Illness or injury may present atypically and delayed presentation is common.
• Person-centred adaptations improve the experience of perioperative care.
• “Autistic SPACE” offers a framework for meeting the needs of autistic patients: Sensory needs, Predictability, Acceptance, Communication, Empathy.