Anesthesia passport ensures optimal care

[Guest guest]

Anesthesia passport ensures optimal care

http://www.news-medical.net/?id=31163

A patient " passport, " outlining individual anesthetic experiences

and side effects, can help patients to better understand the

procedures they have undergone in the operating room and potentially

avoid future, unnecessary complications.

Although more than 15 million Americans undergo surgery and

anesthesia each year, many find the entire process to be complicated

and confusing. And while anesthesia and surgery are relatively safe

and common procedures, occasionally there are complications or side

effects that are important pieces of information for any future

surgical interventions.

Tricia A. Meyer, PharmD., M.S., assistant professor of

anesthesiology, Texas A & M College of Medicine, Texas A & M University,

and director, department of pharmacy, and White Healthcare

System, Temple, Texas, developed a test patient pamphlet

titled " Your Anesthesia Passport " and distributed it to 200

patients, ages 12 to 83, in the ambulatory surgical center at

and White Memorial Hospital in Temple.

The passports, or work sheets, provided background information on

the individual patient's anesthesia, and an explanation of the

document. It also included information on the type of surgery and

anesthetic regimen (medications, date of surgery and surgeon), and

any side effects experienced (headache, nausea, vomiting, etc.) or

other anesthetic concerns (intubations difficulties, latex allergy).

The sheet also included ambulatory surgical center staff contact

information.

The perioperative nurse and anesthesia care provider completed the

information and gave the passport to the patient or family member

prior to discharge.

When asked to complete an evaluation on the perceived usefulness of

the passport, 99 percent of patients indicated that it " helped them

understand more about their anesthesia, " Meyer said. " They indicated

that they would keep the passport and present it to any future

anesthesia or surgery care providers, " she noted.

" The patient can play a key role in providing vital information for

any future surgical or anesthetic interventions to a surgery

center, " Meyer said. " Patients are becoming more knowledgeable about

their medical conditions and are also becoming more actively

involved in their health care. A patient's past surgical and

anesthetic experiences are important parts of their medical history.

The 'passport' can be a useful aid for this information. "