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The evidence supporting intraoperative use of processed electroencephalography monitoring to guide anesthetic delivery is rapidly maturing. This article reviews key features of electroencephalography waveforms and their clinical implications in selected patient populations and anesthetic techniques. The first patient topic reviewed is the vulnerable brain. This phrase has emerged as a description of patients who may exhibit increased sensitivity to anesthetics and/or may develop adverse neurocognitive effects following an anesthetic. Processed electroencephalography monitoring of patients with a known or suspected vulnerable brain with focused attention on the suppression ratio, alpha band power, and processed electroencephalography indices may prove useful. Second, processed electroencephalography monitoring along with vigilant attention to anesthetic delivery may minimize the risk of intraoperative awareness when providing a total intravenous anesthetic in combination with neuromuscular blockade. Third, we suggest that processed electroencephalography monitoring has a role in anesthetic and resuscitative management when faced with adverse changes in blood pressure. Fourth, processed electroencephalography monitoring can better identify anesthetic requirements and guide anesthetic titration in patients with known or suspected substance use.