Preparing the paediatric patient for their operating room experience can be a complex process because of the many individuals involved.4 36 38 Preparation begins before patients have seen an anaesthetist because they will learn of their impending surgery from the surgeon. Surgical colleagues and their support staff can help to ease parents’ anxieties by assuring them that their child will recei...

BACKGROUND Children and parents experience significant anxiety and distress during the preoperative period. Currently available interventions are having limited efficacy. Based on an integration of the literature in both the anesthesia and psychological milieus, the authors developed a behaviorally oriented perioperative preparation program for children undergoing surgery that targets the famil...

"Oulmonary complications have long been recognized as a major postoperative problem. General anesthesia and surgery are common causes of respiratory failure in hospitalized patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease ( C O P D ) . 1 Various preoperative and postoperative regimens have been advocated to reduce the incidence of respiratory difficulties after surgery in these patients. Thi...

Cardiac surgery is associated with significant morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic costs. Preoperative assessment assists the clinician in identifying potential complications and facilitates discussion of these risks with the patient. Careful patient selection and preparation during preoperative evaluation may minimize morbidity, mortality, and resource use. This article outlines a system-b...