What can exacerbate symptoms in a patient with multiple sclerosis undergoing anesthesia?

In patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), symptoms can often be exacerbated by increased body temperature. This phenomenon is known as Uhthoff's phenomenon, where elevated temperatures can temporarily worsen neurological function in individuals with MS. When a patient with MS undergoes anesthesia, even slight increases in body temperature can lead to a flare-up in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, and sensory disturbances.

Managing the patient’s temperature is crucial during the perioperative period to help minimize the risk of exacerbating these symptoms. Therefore, maintaining normothermia and being cautious about methods that might raise the patient's temperature is essential.

The other options involve considerations that, while relevant to anesthesia considerations, do not have the same degree of direct impact on exacerbating MS symptoms as increased temperature does.