Questionnaire increases use of preop protocols.(Gynecologic Surgery)

WASHINGTON -- Use of a questionnaire prior to surgery can greatly increase compliance with preoperative protocols, Anika Backster and her associates wrote in a poster at a meeting sponsored by the National Hispanic Medical Association.

"Previous studies demonstrate the effectiveness of five preoperative precautions in reducing overall surgical risk," wrote Ms. Backster, a second-year medical student at the University of Illinois, Chicago, and colleagues. The five precautions are [beta]-adrenergic blockade, euglycemia, deep-vein thrombosis prophylaxis, prophylactic antibiotics, and normothermia. However, "although these precautionary measures are proven to reduce postoperative mortality and morbidity, they are only implemented in 50% of cases when indicated," the authors noted.

In an attempt to increase the use of the preoperative precautions, Ms. Backster and her colleagues developed and implemented a single-page "preparatory pause" form at Alameda County Medical Center in Oakland, Calif. Participating surgical team members required no prior training to use the form.

The authors recruited 167 consecutive surgical patients. As each patient entered ...