Anesthesia Preoperative Evaluation Research Articles

Teleconsultation for Preoperative Anesthesia Evaluation: Identifying Environmental Potentials by Life Cycle Assessment.

Introduction: Teleconsultations for preoperative evaluation in anesthesiology proved to be feasible during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, widespread implementation of teleconsultations has not yet occurred. Besides time savings and economic benefits, teleconsultations in anesthesia may have the potential to reduce CO2 emissions. Methods: We conducted a life cycle assessment based on prospective surveys to assess the potential environmental benefits of preoperative anesthesia teleconsultations in comparison to the status-quo in-person consultations. Within 1 month, all patients presenting at the preoperative anesthesia clinic at RWTH Aachen University Hospital were asked about the distance traveled and mode of transportation to the hospital. The main outcome measure was the potential environmental benefit resulting from the implementation of teleconsultations. Results: In total, 821 out of 981 patients presenting at the anesthesia clinic participated in the survey. Most patients visited on an outpatient basis (62.9%) and traveled by car (81.7%). The median travel distance was 25 km [interquartile range 12-40]. If patients who came to the hospital solely for the anesthesia appointment had scheduled virtual appointments, the emissions of 3.03-ton CO2 equivalents (CO2-eq) could be avoided in the first month after implementation. The environmental impact associated with the production of teleconsultation equipment is outweighed by the reduction in patient travel. If all outpatient appointments were performed virtually, these savings would triple. Within 10 years, more than 1,300 tons CO2-eq could be avoided. Conclusion: Teleconsultations can mitigate the environmental impact of in-person anesthesia consultations. Further research is essential to leverage teleconsultations for preoperative evaluation also across other medical specialties.

The Significance of Equipment Availability and Anesthesia Educational Conferences to Decision-Making for EKG Lead V5 Abnormalities.

Introduction To predict postoperative myocardial infarction rates in patients who undergo noncardiac surgery, the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Guidelines on Perioperative Cardiac Risk Assessment and Management recommends assessment of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) in certain patients. Serial troponins are measured if the BNP level is elevated. In certain cases, Revised Cardiac Risk Index (RCRI) alone does not perform well, for example, during vascular surgery. Cardiac events occur in 20% of all vascular surgery patients. The odds ratio for such events is 9.2 if ST segments were depressed by 1 mm intraoperatively (relative to the PR interval) within the first 48 hours postoperatively. Increasing the number of cables and pads from three to five for electrocardiogram (EKG) increases the sensitivity from around 30% to over 80% for ischemic events relative to a formal EKG stress test, and then the monitor continuously displays not only lead II but also lead V5. Methods Our hypothesis was that raising awareness about diagnostic and therapeutic options to reduce the risk of postoperative myocardial infarction would increase the use of five pads. We conducted open-ended surveys at six hospitals to assess the reasons for choosing three pads. In our university hospital practice, we measured a cross-sectional incidence of using three pads before and, once again, a month after an intervention during a single morning. Several resident conferences encouraged the use of five pads. Education included weekly lectures and informal discussions with other staff during surgery, demonstrating that using five pads allows interrogation of an entire 12-lead EKG. In comparison, three pads only allow viewing three leads. Results At baseline, only three pads were available in 96% of our 23 operating rooms. Five cables were available in eight of those surgeries, but two were taped off to the side. Surveys unveiled scarcity of equipment and, more importantly, disempowerment (i.e., knowing how to diagnose or when to treat ischemia). After several conferences, the prevalence of equipment availability of only three pads fell to 47%. Conclusions Education enumerated details of recognizing ischemic configurations of ST depression. Next, education revealed methods to interrupt the progression of ischemia to infarction such as elevated blood pressure and hematocrit, reducing heart rate, and calling a cardiology consultant if the anesthesiologist wishes to draw serial troponins. Barriers to implementing an enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) pathway began with a need for more access to manage stress tests or optimize blood pressure medications after a preoperative anesthesia evaluation. The intraoperative barrier was knowing what to do if ST depression occurs. Therefore, we began raising awareness by encouraging the addition of an element of a future ERAS pathway, adding a cost of only $1 to monitor lead V5. Future ERAS pathways can include preoperative stress tests and consults, as found in published guidelines.

Duties of Anaesthetists and Assessment of Awareness, Concerns, and Expectations on Anaesthesia Practices.

Numerous studies performed worldwide indicate that the public has limited knowledge of anaesthesia practices and anaesthetists' duties and responsibilities. This study aimed to identify the level of knowledge about anaesthetists and anaesthesia practices, and to assess the reasons for anxiety about anaesthesia of the population admitted to our hospital, which is tertiary in Turkey. The secondary aim was to analyze their differences according to sex, education level, and acquired anaesthesia experience. A survey comprising 23 questions was administered to 400 patients and/or their relatives, aged 18-85 years, who presented to our clinic for preoperative anaesthesia evaluation and for whom elective surgery was planned from March through October 2017. Of the 400 participants, 213 were women and 187 were men. Of all participants in the survey, 51.2% were patients and 48.8% were patient relatives; 64.2% had anaesthesia experience and 35.8% had never had anaesthesia before. The survey group's level of knowledge about anaesthesia was generally low. According to education level, there was a statistically significant difference in the anaesthesia recognition level. However, the acquired anaesthesia experience did not affect the anaesthesia recognition level. To raise the level of knowledge about this topic, anaesthetists must provide patients with more detailed information during preoperative and postoperative visits, which would significantly reduce their anxiety levels. Further, we determined that increasing the use of methods such as media-based brochures, booklets, and videos to inform patients may increase knowledge levels and reduce anxiety levels.

Preoperative evaluation characteristics of bimaxillary surgery patients: A retrospective study in which prominent findings were evaluated with the literature review

In this study, we aimed to share our experience in preoperative anaesthesia evaluation for patients undergoing bimaxillary surgery in our hospital and review the relevant literature. We retrospectively evaluated 139 patients with ASA (American Society of Anesthesiology) physical status 1 and 2 who underwent bimaxillary surgery. Data were collected on demographic characteristics, ASA physical status, mallampati scores, systemic diseases, allergy history, consultation request status, consulted departments, smoking, alcohol or drug use, and previous exposure to general anaesthesia. The preoperative evaluation of bimaxillary surgery patients revealed several notable findings, including a relatively high rate of cardiovascular problems (48% rate among those with additional systemic disease), the need for otolaryngology (ENT) consultation being the most frequent (44% rate among all consultations), and a relatively high rate of active smoking (23.7%). Our findings suggest that the bimaxillary surgery patient group should be carefully evaluated, particularly regarding cardiovascular disease and difficult airway management

Maternal satisfaction and practice of preoperative anaesthesia evaluation among pregnant who underwent elective caesarean section, cross-sectional study

BackgroundPreoperative anesthesia evaluation is beginning of all anesthesia care. It enables the anesthetists to know general health status of parturient, choose of anesthesia options and discuss the possible complication regarding perioperative anesthesia care. It also creates chance for parturient to know the anesthetist, about anesthesia type as well as possible anesthesia care related complications. ObjectiveTo assess maternal satisfaction with the practice of preoperative anesthesia evaluation among patients underwent elective cesarean delivery. MethodsThis study was a cross-sectional study design conducted from March 1to April 30, 2021. All consecutive parturient that were scheduled for elective cesarean delivery under anesthesia during the study period were interviewed postoperatively after 24 h using semi structure questioner. A checklists, which developed based on the hospital's anesthetic evaluation sheet and Royal Collage of Anesthetist standards (RCOA) were used for data collection. Data were entered in SPSS version 20 and both descriptive and analytic statics analysis were performed. ResultA total of 157 elective patients undergoing elective cesarean section were included with response rate of 96.9%. All patients (100%) were evaluated in the preoperative period. However, 53(33.8%) of patients were receiving information regarding postoperative nausea and vomiting during the preoperative period compared to the standards. Educational level of the anesthetist, fasting instruction, information regarding PONV and information regarding type of anesthesia were significantly associated with overall maternal satisfaction to current practice of preoperative anesthesia evaluation. Conclusion and recommendationThe practice of delivering important information's to parturient during the preoperative anesthesia evaluation was low compared to the standard. Therefore, we recommend anesthesia professionals to give detail explanation regarding the post-operative pain management option, possible inevitable complications and proper rapport with the clients.

Botulinum Toxin A Injection and Perianesthesia Neuromuscular Monitoring: Case Report and Review

The popularity of looking younger has been facilitated by the availability of botulinum toxin (BoNT) injection. In 2019, over 7.7 million injections of BoNT occurred, making it the number one minimally invasive cosmetic procedure in the United States. With the ease of patients obtaining BoNT in an outpatient setting, coupled with the fact that it is considered a minimally invasive procedure, most patients do not disclose the use of BoNT during the preoperative anesthesia evaluation. This case report involves a female whose recent BoNT injections interfered with neuromuscular (NM) monitoring during anesthesia. Neuromuscular monitoring was performed using the orbicularis oculi muscle with repeated train-of-four (TOF) 0/4. It was not until completion of procedure when the arms were accessible that the adductor pollicis muscle was assessed with a TOF of 2/4. During postoperative follow up, the patient revealed she had received BoNT injections prior to surgery. A review of BoNT pharmacology, barriers to NM monitoring and use of sugammadex are discussed. This case demonstrates the importance of ascertaining BoNT injection history in any case in which access to the ulnar nerve or tibial nerve is not available.

The Role of Simultaneous Medical Conditions in Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a chronic neurologic syndrome that affects the elderly population in a context of concomitant medical conditions. The aim of this study was to understand the significance of comorbidities using 4 validated and specific clinical scores: Cumulative Illness Rating Scale (CIRS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score, Comorbidity Index (CMI), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI). From 2015 until 2019, the Bologna PRO-Hydro multidisciplinary team selected 63 patients for shunt surgery. All comorbidity scores were collected during preoperative anesthesia evaluation. Positive shunt response was defined as an improvement in overall disability (assessed with modified Rankin Scale [mRS]), in risk of fall (assessed with Tinetti Permormance Orientated Mobility Assessment, Tinetti) and in INPH specific symptoms (assessed with INPH Grading Scale, INPHGS). Patients with elevated values of CIRS had worse performance in gait and balance at Tinetti scale, both before (P= 0.039) and after surgery (P= 0.005); patients with high values of CMI had inferior values of Tinetti at baseline (P= 0.027) and higher mRS after surgery (P= 0.009); ASA 2 patients had better postoperative Tinetti scores than ASA 3 patients (P= 0.027). A positive or negative shunt response was not significantly correlated with patients' preoperative comorbidity scores. Patients with multiple comorbidities have a worse preoperative condition compared to patients with less concomitant diseases, and the proposed comorbidity scores, CIRS in particular, are useful clinical tools for the anesthesiologist. Comorbidities, though, do not impact overall postoperative outcome.

Correlation between neck circumference measurement and obesity type with difficult intubation in obese patients undergoing elective surgery

Background/Aim: The number of obese patients undergoing elective surgery is increasing day by day. However, there are conflicting data in the literature about factors predicting difficult tracheal intubation in obese patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the commonly used predictors of difficult intubation in obese patients (body mass index (BMI) >35 kg/m2) who wish to undergo elective surgery and to examine the association of neck circumference and obesity type with difficult intubation. Methods: This observational, cross-sectional, prospective study was performed after obtaining approval from the ethics committee. Obese patients over the age of 18 years, requiring tracheal intubation, undergoing elective surgery, and with a BMI greater than 35 were included in this study. Patients with a history of cervical spine anomaly or trauma, congenital facial anomaly or trauma affecting this region, those who would undergo emergency surgery, patients with a known history of difficult airway or upper respiratory tract disease, and those with planned awake intubation were excluded from the study. Preoperative anesthetic evaluation was performed for all patients, their relevant measurements were obtained, and medical histories were taken as required for the study. The association of the patients’ BMI, Mallampati classification, thyromental distance, Cormack–Lehane grade, obstructive sleep apnea, neck circumference, and obesity type with difficult intubation was evaluated. Preoperative and peroperative measurements were recorded in the follow-up forms. Results: A total of 85 patients, 62 females and 23 males, between the ages of 19 and 77 years were included in this study. A significant difference was found in the patients’ BMI, neck circumference, thyromental distance, Mallampati classifications, and Cormack–Lehane grades in terms of intubation difficulty (P 50 cm increased the risk of difficult intubation 8.323 times. Conclusion: Neck circumference and thyromental distance are significant predictors for difficult intubation and laryngoscopy in morbidly obese patients.

Association between the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients undergoing cataract surgery and their prevalence of conjunctival bacteria.

To identify characteristics of patients undergoing cataract surgery associated with pathogenic and antibiotic-resistant conjunctival bacteria. Spanish tertiary hospital. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Records of consecutive patients undergoing cataract surgery between July 2005 and September 2014, contained data on patient characteristics and conjunctival bacteria systematically identified with preoperative tests and anesthetic evaluation. A multivariate logistic regression associated 12 bacterial groups with every category of 17 characteristics. Odds ratio (OR), 95% CIs expressed colonization risk. In 14883 patients, categories associated with pathogenic bacteria were age older than 79 years with nonfermentative gram-negative bacilli (NFGNB) (OR 1.74, 1.12-2.71), enterococci (OR 1.90, 1.36-2.65), Enterobacteriaceae (OR 2.17, 1.65-2.87), and Staphylococcus aureus (OR 1.37, 1.16-1.62); obesity with S aureus (OR 1.52, 1.30-1.78), enterococci (OR 1.99, 1.47-2.68), and Enterobacteriaceae (OR 2.17, 1.70-2.77); dacryocystorhinostomy history with S aureus (OR 1.90, 1.48-2.44), Haemophilus spp. (OR 2.06, 1.37-3.11), Streptococcus pneumoniae (OR 3.14, 2.14-4.62), NFGNB (OR 2.23, 1.28-3.88), and enterococci (OR 1.80, 1.16-1.81); diabetes with S aureus (OR 1.27, 1.13-1.44), enterococci (OR 1.49, 1.19-1.87), and Enterobacteriaceae (OR 1.27, 1.04-1.54); smoking habit with Enterobacteriaceae (OR 2.11, 1.56-2.86); autumn with NFGNB (OR 2.0, 1.35-3.0); hot weather with S aureus (OR 1.23, 1.03-1.47); and lung, renal, and some heart insufficiencies with S aureus. Other staphylococci, highly antibiotic-resistant, were associated with old age, obesity, and hot weather. Old age, obesity, diabetes, dacryocystorhinostomy history, smoking habit, and autumn and summer seasons increased the prevalence of enterococci, staphylococci, Enterobacteriaceae, and/or NFGNB. Obesity and humid-warm weather are key for choosing a cataract surgery prophylaxis.

Peripartum optimization and coordination of collaborative care practice: a critical role for the obstetric anesthesiologist in combating maternal morbidity and mortality.

Antenatal anesthesia clinics remain uncommon despite the rising incidence of maternal morbidity and mortality in the United States. The purpose of the present review is to outline the major considerations and challenges surrounding antenatal anesthetic evaluation. Data from the general surgical population would suggest a mortality benefit associated with preoperative anesthesia evaluation, although no such data exists in the obstetric population.Robust systems for case ascertainment and referral are needed. Recent publications on obstetric comorbidity indices may provide useful tools to ascertain high-risk parturients for a referral to antenatal obstetric anesthesiology clinics and higher levels of maternal care. Major obstetric organizations have identified and laid out criteria for maternal level of care. Anesthesiology resources also play a role in these designations and can help triage patients to facilities with appropriate resources. Obstetric anesthesiologists have a critical role not only in preoperative patient optimization but also in coordinating multidisciplinary care for optimal patient outcomes.

Evolution of ASA Physical status scoring system

Anesthesia Preoperative evaluation holds a prime importance in improving overall patient outcomes and decreases hospital expenditure. The American Society of Anesthesiologists Physical Status scoring system ASA-PS was introduced 70 years back in clinical practice and it still holds the lime light for stratifying patient population and considering the risk index and mortality outcomes to warn the surgeon. How has it evolved since the passing years? We will see how over centuries it has evolved. ASA PS has been a significant predictor in depicting morbidity and mortality and evaluating peri-operative risks in patients going for surgery for clinicians, researchers, hospital administrators and government. Further addition of examples of modifying ASA PS status is necessary to make it more comprehensive and easier to use even for non-anesthetists to improve overall peri-operative morbidity and mortality.
 Key words: ASA PS (American Society of Anesthesiology Physical Status); Peri-operative outcomes
 Citation: Malik M, Urooj S, Imtiaz A, Arif AM. Evolution of ASA Physical status scoring system. Anaesth. pain intensive care 2021;25(2):225-232. DOI: 10.35975/apic.v25i2.1476
 Received: , Reviewed: , Accepted:

A Retrospective Analysis Demonstrates That a Failure to Document Key Comorbid Diseases in the Anesthesia Preoperative Evaluation Associates With Increased Length of Stay and Mortality.

The introduction of electronic health records (EHRs) has helped physicians access relevant medical information on their patients. However, the design of EHRs can make it hard for clinicians to easily find, review, and document all of the relevant data, leading to documentation that is not fully reflective of the complete history. We hypothesized that the incidence of undocumented key comorbid diseases (atrial fibrillation [afib], congestive heart failure [CHF], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease [COPD], diabetes, and chronic kidney disease [CKD]) in the anesthesia preoperative evaluation was associated with increased postoperative length of stay (LOS) and mortality. Charts of patients >18 years who received anesthesia in an inpatient facility were reviewed in this retrospective study. For each disease, a precise algorithm was developed to look for key structured data (medications, lab results, structured medical history, etc) in the EHR. Additionally, the checkboxes from the anesthesia preoperative evaluation were queried to determine the presence or absence of the documentation of the disease. Differences in mortality were modeled with logistic regression, and LOS was analyzed using linear regression. A total of 91,011 cases met inclusion criteria (age 18-89 years; 52% women, 48% men; 70% admitted from home). Agreement between the algorithms and the preoperative note was >84% for all comorbidities other than chronic pain (63.5%). The algorithm-detected disease not documented by the anesthesia team in 34.5% of cases for chronic pain (vs 1.9% of cases where chronic pain was documented but not detected by the algorithm), 4.0% of cases for diabetes (vs 2.1%), 4.3% of cases for CHF (vs 0.7%), 4.3% of cases for COPD (vs 1.1%), 7.7% of cases for afib (vs 0.3%), and 10.8% of cases for CKD (vs 1.7%). To assess the association of missed documentation with outcomes, we compared patients where the disease was detected by the algorithm but not documented (A+/P-) with patients where the disease was documented (A+/P+). For all diseases except chronic pain, the missed documentation was associated with a longer LOS. For mortality, the discrepancy was associated with increased mortality for afib, while the differences were insignificant for the other diseases. For each missed disease, the odds of mortality increased 1.52 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.42-1.63) and the LOS increased by approximately 11%, geometric mean ratio of 1.11 (95% CI, 1.10-1.12). Anesthesia preoperative evaluations not infrequently fail to document disease for which there is evidence of disease in the EHR data. This missed documentation is associated with an increased LOS and mortality in perioperative patients.

Comparison of modified Mallampati test and thyromental height test for preoperative airway assessment: A prospective observational study

Background: Prevision of a potentially difficult airway in the preoperative period is imperative. The available tools are evaluation of mouth opening, Mallampati test; atlanto-occipital extension; hyomental, thyromental, and sternomental distances; and upper lip bite test; thyromental height test (TMHT) is a new indicator. Aims: To compare the effectiveness of preoperative anaesthetic airway evaluation methods of TMHT and Modified mallampati test (MMT) to predict the difficulty in intubation. Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was aimed to compare the effectiveness of preoperative anesthetic airway evaluation methods of TMHT and modified Mallampati test (MMT) to predict the difficulty in intubation. A total of 150 subjects were included in this study. MMT and TMHT were compared, and sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, and accuracy were calculated. Results: On comparison, we found TMHT to be more sensitive (93.33%) than MMT (77.78%); both tests have high specificity (TMHT 91.43%; MMT 81.90%). Positive predictive value was 82.35% for TMHT and 64.81% for MMT. Similarly, negative predictive value was 96.97% for TMHT and 89.58% for MMT. Accuracy was 92.00% for TMHT and 80.66% for MMT. Conclusions: TMHT can predict difficult intubation better than MMT (high positive predictive value). However, both TMHT and MMT predict easy intubations effectively, their negative predictive values being high.

A Validation Pilot Study Comparing Telemedicine Images to a Face-to-Face Airway Exam for Conducting the Anesthesia Preoperative Airway Evaluation

Telemedicine is a branch of healthcare that uses communication technology to deliver medical information and services between patients and healthcare providers. The applicability of telemedicine is vast and increasingly relevant. There is a lack of research on utilizing telemedicine for remote evaluation of the airway. The primary aim of this pilot study was to validate a telemedical airway exam as a viable alternative to an in-person evaluation. Three anesthesiologists evaluated 48 volunteers by telemedicine and live examination. The telemedical exam consisted of transmitting still images of four established, predictive parameters of difficult airways: Mallampati score; neck extension; ability to prognath; and thyromental distance. Each subject’s telemedical and face-to-face scores were compared to determine their degree of correlation. Still images were taken using standardized positioning with four pictures of mouth opening, neck extension, prognath, and thyromental distance. Data were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests and free-marginal multirater kappa analysis. Average respective scores for live versus telemedicine examination were as follows: Mallampati scores were 1.73 versus 2.54; neck extension scores were 3.77 versus 3.60; thyromental distance (measured in finger breadths) was 2.95 versus 2.92; and prognath scores were 0.97 versus 0.94. There was no difference in grading of thyromental distance or prognathy ability between live and telemedical exams, and interrater reliability was very good for both parameters. This study supports telemedicine as a reliable tool for preoperative anesthesia airway exams to identify airway difficulties. This may be especially useful as an alternative in patients with COVID-19 undergoing urgent surgery.

Assessment of Patient Satisfaction with the Preoperative Anaesthetic Evaluation

Preoperative anaesthetic evaluation is important in the perioperative care. The aim of the study was to evaluate the level of satisfaction and factors affecting patient satisfaction in the preanaesthetic clinic (PAC). A total of 304 patients who attended PAC for preoperative evaluation were recruited into this study. A bilanguage validated Patient Satisfaction Survey in English and Bahasa Malaysia with total questions of 18 examining non-provider factors (NPF) (facilities and appropriateness of waiting time) and provider factors (PF) (doctor, counter services, nurses and supporting staff) were utilized. The survey form was graded in a strongly agree/ disagree five-point Likert scale format for patients’ level of satisfaction. Overall satisfaction of preoperative evaluation was reported as 98.7% with mean scores from doctor (4.49 + 0.60), counter service (4.48 + 0.61), support staff (4.47 + 0.62) and the NPF (4.40 + 0.62), respectively. All factors were found to be significantly correlated with the overall patients’ satisfaction (p<0.001) and waiting time shown to be the independent predictor affecting the level of satisfaction. Overall majority of the patients were satisfied with the preoperative evaluation provided at PAC and both non-provider and provider factors were shown to have a significant impact on patient satisfaction.

Implementation and Impact of Universal Preprocedure Testing of Patients for COVID-19 Before Endoscopy

Implementation and Impact of Universal Preprocedure Testing of Patients for COVID-19 Before Endoscopy

COVID-19 Preoperative Assessment and Testing: From Surge to Recovery.

COVID-19 Preoperative Assessment and Testing: From Surge to Recovery.

How does the COVID-19 pandemic affect the preoperative evaluation and anesthesia applied for urinary stones? EULIS eCORE-IAU multicenter collaborative cohort study.

Stone disease is a unique condition that requires appropriate management in a timely manner as it can result in both emergent conditions and long term effects on kidney functions. In this study it is aimed to identify the up-to-date practice patterns related to preoperative evaluation and anesthesia for stone disease interventions during COVID-19 pandemic. The data of 473 patients from 11 centers in 5 different countries underwent interventions for urinary stones during the Covid-19 pandemic was collected and analyzed retrospectively. Information on the type of the stone related conditions, management strategies, anesthesiologic evaluation, anesthesia methods, and any alterations related to COVID-19 pandemic was collected. During the preoperative anesthesia evaluation thorax CT was performed in 268 (56.7%) and PCR from nasopharyngeal swab was performed in 31 (6.6%) patients. General anesthesia was applied in 337 (71.2%) patients and alteration in the method of anesthesia was recorded in 45 (9.5%) patients. A cut-off value of 21 days was detected for the hospitals to adapt changes related to COVID-19. Rate of preoperative testing, emergency procedures, conservative approaches and topical/regional anesthesia increased after 21 days. The preoperative evaluation for management of urinary stone disease is significantly affected by COVID-19 pandemic. There is significant alteration in anesthesia methods and interventions. The optimal methods for preoperative evaluation are still unknown and there is discordance between different centers. It takes 21 days for hospitals and surgeons to adapt and develop new strategies for preoperative evaluation and management of stones.

Recommendations for Preoperative Assessment and Shared Decision-Making in Cardiac Surgery.

Recommendations about shared decision-making and guidelines on preoperative evaluation of patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery are abundant, but respective recommendations for cardiac surgery are sparse. We provide an overview of available evidence. While there currently is no consensus statement on the preoperative anesthetic evaluation and shared decision-making for the adult patient undergoing cardiac surgery, evidence pertaining to specific organ systems is available. We provide a comprehensive review of available evidence pertaining to preoperative assessment and shared decision-making for patients undergoing cardiac surgery and recommend a thorough preoperative workup in this vulnerable population.

Pulmonary embolism identified prior to anesthesia induction in a low-risk patient

Introduction: Early detection and treatment of pulmonary embolism (PE) are critical for reducing morbidity and mortality of patients. However, diagnosis can be difficult if the symptoms are not clear. Case Report: A 21-year-old male patient visited the emergency room with multiple fractures, including femur fractures. Three days later, the planned operation was scheduled. On the day of surgery, the operation was canceled due to clinical diagnosis of PE because oxygen saturation on the pulse oximeter was 71–76% without dyspnea. Later, he was diagnosed with PE of the right lower lobe based on computed tomography (CT) pulmonary angiography, and surgery was performed without complications after low-molecular weight heparin treatment. Conclusion: Even if a patient is low risk and does not have symptoms suspicious of PE, careful preoperative patient monitoring and preoperative anesthetic evaluation are important for identifying additional patient risks.