More articles from Symposium: The Internist and Perioperative Care
- The preoperative bleeding time test: assessing its clinical usefulness
Because of the bleeding time test's low value in predicting perioperative bleeding, it should be abandoned as a routine screening test.
- Postoperative pulmonary complications: risk assessment, prevention, and treatment
Preoperative pulmonary function testing is needed only in high-risk patients; proper management can decrease the risk.
- A 55-year-old man with chronic liver disease and coagulation abnormalities
Assessing the effect of cirrhosis on coagulation and preventing perioperative bleeding: a self-test
- The internist as consultant
Ways internists can improve their effectiveness in evaluating patients, managing surgical complications and communicating with referring physicians.
- Evaluating cardiac risk in noncardiac surgery patients
The history, examination, and resting EKG are the cornerstone of cardiac risk assessment, but new techniques are available for questionable cases.
- Deep venous thrombosis: low-molecular-weight heparins in perioperative prophylaxis
Although low-molecular weight heparins have theoretical advantages over standard heparin in preventing DVT, the differences in outcome have not been dramatic. The important issue is to give some form of prophylactic therapy.
- Perioperative care of the elderly patient: special considerations
For the elderly, surgical risk factors such as underlying disease or the nature of the surgery are more important than age alone. A preoperative assessment can help define risk.
- Preoperative screenings What tests are necessary?
Ordering preoperative tests is as easy as checking a form. But what tests are worthwhile for which patients?
- Postoperative confusion in a 42-year-old man
Recognizing the cause of postoperative confusion and treating the problem: a self-test