ABSTRACT

Urban and rural facilities in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) frequently face shortages of medications and personnel considered essential to anesthetic care in the more developed world. Planning successful anesthetics requires an understanding of these limited resources. Anesthetic plans should also be tailored to this environment, aiming for quick recoveries without the need for frequent postoperative intervention. Clinicians should anticipate shortages and consider bringing their own supplies of essential anesthetic drugs. However, it is important to note that the transport of controlled drugs (e.g., opioids) abroad without proper authorization may be considered illegal. Further, bringing uncommonly used drugs or agents that are not widely available in destination countries limits the ability of visiting clinicians to educate local providers, who will not have access to these medications after the visitor has left. Finally, it is becoming increasingly common for nations to not allow expired drugs through customs, so providers should be aware of this fact as well when planning a visiting surgical team trip.