Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
Preoperative fasting is the practice of a surgical patient abstaining from eating or drinking ("nothing by mouth") for some time before having an operation.This is intended to prevent stomach contents from getting into the windpipe and lungs (known as a pulmonary aspiration) while the patient is under general anesthesia. [1]
People taking popular diabetes and weight loss drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Ozempic and Wegovy or Eli Lilly's Mounjaro should temporarily stop taking them before having elective surgery to avoid ...
At some point before surgery a health care provider conducts a preoperative assessment to verify that a person is fit and ready for the surgery. [ 1 ] [ 2 ] For surgeries in which a person receives either general or local anesthesia, this assessment may be done either by a doctor or a nurse trained to do the assessment. [ 2 ]
Although complications during anesthesia are rare, potentially life-threatening consequences may occur if an anaphylactic reaction develops. The severity of the reaction whilst under anesthesia is because the anesthetist is only made aware of the allergy when it is severe enough to compromise the cardiovascular system and the respiratory system.
General anesthesia is usually considered safe; however, there are reported cases of patients with distortion of taste and/or smell due to local anesthetics, stroke, nerve damage, or as a side effect of general anesthesia. [46] [47] At the end of surgery, administration of anaesthetic agents is discontinued.
The lungs are normally protected against aspiration by a series of protective reflexes such as coughing and swallowing. Significant aspiration can only occur if the protective reflexes are absent or severely diminished (in neurological disease, coma , drug overdose , sedation or general anesthesia ).
Premedication is using medication before some other therapy (usually surgery or chemotherapy) to prepare for that forthcoming therapy.Typical examples include premedicating with a sedative or analgesic before surgery; using prophylactic (preventive) antibiotics before surgery; and using antiemetics or antihistamines before chemotherapy.
This procedure is used where general anesthesia must be induced before the patient has had time to fast long enough to empty the stomach; where the patient has a condition that makes aspiration more likely during induction of anesthesia, regardless of how long they have fasted (such as gastroesophageal reflux disease or advanced pregnancy); or where the patient has become unable to protect ...