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O C T O B E R 2 0 1 4 | O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E
ANESTHESIA ALERT
ognized and treated as an individual. What one patient sees as a sim-
ple procedure may strike terror in another. You need to do much more
than just ask when was the last time you ate or drank, and are you
allergic to any medications.
Thoroughly review the chart
before
speaking to the patient.
Patients
are often given a pre-anesthesia assessment sheet to fill out
before they arrive for surgery. The sheet and the chart can help you
quickly familiarize yourself with the patient. You'll boost patient confi-
dence if you say things like, "Tell me about the problem you had with
nausea and vomiting with your past procedures." Let patients realize
you've actually reviewed their histories and that you don't have to
play 20 Questions with them. Work into your pre-op interview any-
thing charted that relates to anesthesia, as though you're well aware
of the issue and just want to show that you're there to listen, provide
encouragement and assure patients you want to provide the best,
safest and most-effective care possible.
Keep patients informed.
You can instill confidence in patients by
discussing aspects of the surgery in addition to anesthesia. You
don't have to go into great detail, but make it clear you're familiar
with the procedure and the anesthetic management it requires. Tell
them what to expect from the time they leave the pre-op area until the
time they're anesthetized. Leave no room for surprises. If they know
they're going to be going into a cold room and that people will be
coming at them from all angles to position them and apply monitors,
they won't be surprised.
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