Generic Periop Flashcards
why is a preop assessment carried out
to assess patient’s medical and physical state before surgery, determining possible complications and seeing what can be done to optimise a patient’s health preop
list the medications specifically asked about in the preop assessment
- heparin
- warfarin
clopidogrel - steroids
- contraceptive pill
- HRT
why can steroids be a problem in surgery
steorids can cause adrenal suppression - as cortisol is usually increased during surgery; suppression may result in decreased BP or circulatory collapse during surgery
list the risk factors for PONV
- female
- motion sickness
- duration of surgery
- diabetes
- laparoscopic surgery
- previous PONV
(each score one point)
list the preop bloods
FBC, INR/clotting, electrophoresis, u + e, LFT, lipids, glucose, HbA1C, TFT, G+S
list some of the preop investigations done in the preop assessment
ecg cxr msu pregnancy mrsa
how is a patient who tests positively for mrsa in preop assessment be treated
the planned op may need to be delayed. treatment includes antibacterial wash, nose cream, side room admittance if urgent surgery
what is APACHE scoring
classification system rating severity of patien’s risk of dying in hospital; takes into account factors such as core temp, HR, BP, creat, age, chronic illness
what are high risk respiratory patients going for operations
asthma, COPD +/- steroid therapy. need to get this optimal
why should diabetes patients be put first on the list for operations
prevent hypo
which cardiac conditions increase operative risk
cvd/hf.arrhythmia/ihd
how may alcoholism affect a patient going for an operation
may be tolerant to BZDs, anaesthetic agents e.g. propofol requiring higher doses
how may obesity affect patients going for operations
may require higher O2 concs, make BP measurement less reliable, iv access more difficult
list some neurological/neuromuscular conditions significant in patients having surgery
malignant hyperthermia, myasthenia gravis, MS, stroke, Parkinson’s, muscular dystrophy, MND, myasthenic syndromes, epilepsy, dementia, Guillain Barre
what should a preop referral letter for a diabetic patient ideally contain
HbA1C, BP, wieght, details of complications, written information if drug regimen changes need to be made
how should insulin therapy during surgery be administeres
in 0.45% NaCl and glucose, with KCl to maintain electrolyte balance,
how are diabetic patients managed perioperatively in terms of drug regimen alterations
- put first on list
- stop long acting insulin night before
- SC insulin omitted in morning if morning surgery; if op in afternoon then give morning insulin with breakfast
how often should you check blood glucose in a patient with diabetes, having surgery
hourly intraop then two hourly post op
how do you manage diabetic patients intraoperatively
set up infusion pump with sliding scale insulin
how do you manage diabetic patients post op
continue IV insulin + dextrose post op until patient can manage to feed
finger prick blood glucose every 2 hours
how do you manage a non insulin-dependent diabetic who is undergoing surgery
- if poorly-controlled treat as per DM1
- do NOT igve long acting sulfonylureas on morning of surgery
- start SC/IV insulin if having major op
- take oral hypoglycamics as normal on preceding day and stop on morning of surgery
what is a PICC line
peripherally-inserted central catheter, which is a form of iv access for a prolonged period of time
what may PICC lines be used for
chemo, extended abx, tpn
list some of the veins that a central line (or central venous catheter) may be inserted into
internal jugular or other veins including subclavian, axillary, femoral
what do central lines give an indication of
right atrial pressure therefore RV preload
what is the dose of cyclizine
50mg
what is the mech of action of cyclizine
anticholinergic/antihistaminic
what is the mech of action of ondansetron
5ht3 receptor antag
what is the mech of action of metoclopramide
D2 anatgonist
what is the dose of metoclopramide
10mg tds
what is the mech of action of prochlorperazine
D2 antagonist
what is the mech of action of hyoscine bromide
anticholinergic
what are the side effects of anticholinergics
drowsiness and xerostomia
what are the side effects of 5ht3 antagonists
confusion, dizziness, tachy
what are the side effects of dopamine atagonists
EPSE, resp depression, dystonia, restlessness, drowsiness
what is delirium (post op s/e)
organically-caused decline from previous cognitive function. has a fluctutating course, clouding of consciousness, behavioural changes, arousal changes, perceptional changes, sleep-wake cycle disturbance
what is dementia
long term gradual decline in cognitive function, with memory disorders, personality change, problems with language/emotional motivation/ (different types and underlying causes)
what does POCD stand for
post operative cognitive dysfunction
what is Post-op cognitive dysfunction
short-term decline in cognitive function (compared to before surgery) lasting a few days-weeks post op. distinct from delirium (does not share all the features).
which post op complications are expected to occur within the first 4 days post op
acute mi, pyrexia due to atelectasis, cva
which post op complications are expected within the first 7 days after surgery
renal impairment/failure
post op urinary retention
which post op complication is expected within days 5-10 post op
delerium tremens
which post op complications are expected within days 7-10 post op
chest infeciton, wound infection, uti, secondary haemorrhage
which post op complicatoins are expected from days 10 onwards from operation
dvt, pe, wound dehisence
how should significant post op blood loss +/- shock be managed, or even a late secondary haemorrhage
surgical exploration to find cause
list some of the resp complications that may occur post op
pulmonary collapse, infection, resp failure, plueral effusion, pneumothorax, ARDS
what is the reason that heart problems may occur post op
diseased heart may find it difficult to respond to increased demand in the post op period, e.g. acute hf, mi, arrhythmias etc may occur
list some of the complications associated with IV administration in an operative setting
bruising, haematoma, phlebitis, venous thrombosis, air embolus, site infection,
(if arterial cannula - rarely artery occlusion)
which arrhythmia is the commonest to occur post op, and may be due to haemodynamic disturbance
af
what are the most common types of shock seen as complications post op
hypovolaemic, cardiogenic, septic
what are the common features of cardiogenic and hypovolaemic shock
decreased bp, increased hr, sweating, vasoconstriction
what are the initial features of septic shock
hyperdynamic circultion, fever, rigors, warm vasodilated periphery, bounding pulse
what are the later features of septic shock
hypotension, peripheral vasoconstriction, oliguria, multisystem failure
list some of the renal post op complications
urnairy retention - overflow incontinence
renal failure
uti
what factors can increase chance of urinary retention occuring as a post op complication
pelvic/groin/perineal op
spinal/epidural anaesthesia
post op pain, anaesthetic drugs
list the three steps of virchows triad
increased coagulability, endothelial damage, stasis
list the risk factors for dvt
- obesity
- age
- prolonged op
- hip/pelvic surgery
- varicose veins
- pregnancy
- malignancy
- previous dvt
what adjustments are made for patients on the cocp having surgery
stop cocp 4 weeks before surgery, with alternative contraceptive cover
which two types of compression are used on the leg for patients undergoing surgery
TED graduated compression stockings, and mechanical calf compression (Intermittent Pneumatic Compression)
how is a dvt treated
SC LMWH and Warfarin. LMWH is stopped once fully anticoagulated, and warfarin is continued for 3-6months. inr maintained at 2-3
is pe’s continue to occur depsite anticoagulation post op etc, what measure can be taken
ivc filters
describe epidural anaesthesia
continuous infusion of anaesthetic + opioid into the epidural space, set to a certain rate.
how long can an epidural catheter remain in place for
up to 5 days
list some of the causes of epidural anaesthesia failure
misplacement, displacement, inadequate analgesia, intolerable side effects
what are some complications of epidural anaesthesia
cephalad spread causing resp distress
permanent neurological damage
describe PCA
programmed pump delivers small predetermined doses of a drug (usually opiate) with a minimum period between doses (lock out)
what is a common setting for pca morphine
1mg, minimum 5 min intervals
what are some of the downsides to pca
patient must understand how it works, and have the required manual dexterity to operate it
what layers are gone through in order to insert an epidural
skin, subcut tissues, supraspinous ligament, interspinous ligament, ligamentum flavum, then enter the epidural space (dura mater on innermost)
why may patients who have had operation be more likely to get renal failure
recued perfusion to kidneys due to hypovolaemia, water depletion etc., s well as exacerbation by nephrotoxic agents, sepsis and hypoxia
list some of the things that can cause airway obstruction periop
obstruction by tongue, foreign bodies, layngeal spasm, laryngeal oedema, bronchospasm/bronchial obstruction
how is airway obstruction managed
recovery position
chin lift jaw thrust, guedel airway, o2, may need to reintubate
what should pao2 be
> 13kpa
what is defined as too low an oxygen kpa
less than 6.7kpa
what are the clinical and xray features of ards
impaired oxygenation, diffuse lung opacification on CXR and reduced lung compliance,
list some of the causes of post op ards
TRALI, pulmonary or systemic sepsis, aspiration of gastric contents
what are some of the clinical features of ards
tachypnoea, increased ventilatory effort, restlessness, confusion,
describe the pathophysiology of ards
thought to be due to inflammatory reaction abd release of cytokines, damaged vasculr endothelium, capillary leakage -> cause interstitial and alveolar oedema
what is the management of ards
a-e, ventilatory support, peep (positive end expiratory pressure), treat underlying cause
what are light’s crteria indicating that an effusion is an exudate
- pleural;serum protein >/ 0.5
- pleural:serum lactate >/ 0.6
- pleural fluid lavtate dehydrogenase >/ 2/3 upper limit for serum LD
what periop factors increase the risk of pulmonary collapse for surgical patients
- inability to breathe deeply (e.g. pain) and cough up secretions
- anaesthetics and surgery
- impaired diaphragmatic movement
- oversedation
- cilia paralysis due to inhaled anaesthetics
how may post op pulmonary collapse be prevented
encourage patient to breathe deeply, cough and mobilise
may need chest physio
o2 by mask for hypoxia
(assisted ventilation + endotracheal intubation may be reuired in some cases)
what may cause pulmonary infection in surgical patients
collapse or aspiration