There are only a limited number of computer-based systems designed to support anesthesiologists in the operating room. This is evident from the very small number of publications on this topic. These systems may be classified by the functions they perform and include: intelligent anesthesia workstations (with current data acquisition, conditioning and analysis subsystems), systems to detect critical conditions in patients (including expert systems in smart alarm capacity), anesthesia management systems (for planning and management) and drug administration systems. Drug administration systems may be subdivided into open-loop and closed-loop systems. The techniques applied for design of such systems vary extensively. There are traditional rule-based expert systems and probability-based systems, and more recently developed artificial intelligence methods, such as neural networks and fuzzy logic. Computers are valuable tools that have the potential to assist anesthesiologists in carrying out cumbersome and monotonous processes. Future efforts may result in the development of sophisticated systems capable of assuming more responsibilities and of reducing human workload and stress.