Anesthesia Alert
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2 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 8
One simple question is a
pretty reliable predictor
of the post-operative
complications patients
with pulmonary hyperten-
sion (PHTN) will experi-
ence: Can they walk up 2
flights of stairs without
stopping for shortness of
breath?
This finding is described
in the study, "Self-reported functional status predicts post-operative
outcomes in non-cardiac surgery patients with pulmonary hyperten-
sion," published in the journal PLOS ONE (osmag.net/k6AqSS).
Asking a simple question sure beats scheduling a $3,000
echocardiography, says study co-author Gail Van Norman, MD, a
University of Washington Medicine anesthesiologist.
"If [a patient] can walk up two flights of stairs," says Dr. Van
Norman, "you probably can do a laparoscopic gallbladder
removal and reassure him that the risks of complications are
pretty low."
If a patient gets winded climbing stairs, there's a greater
chance he'll have a longer stay in the hospital following a surgical
procedure and experience such major complications as arrhyth-
mia, acute renal failure or delirium, say researchers.
Researchers also pinpointed which PHTN patients could move
The Key Question to Ask Patients
With Pulmonary Hypertension
• GOING UP Climbing stairs can predict post-op issues for patients
with pulmonary hypertension.
TWO FLIGHTS UP
