ABSTRACT
All patients undergoing thoracic surgery must give a complete medical history and have a complete physical examination prior to surgery. The physical examination is directed primarily to the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems. The presence of wheezing, rales, rhonchi, or other abnormal breath sounds suggests the need for further medical intervention. Any deviation of the trachea from the midline should alert the anesthesiologist to a potentially difficult intubation or to the possibility of airway obstruction during induction of anesthesia.
