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Providing patients with good information prior to an operation is a
topical and important subject. However as R.Markham and A.Smith point out
the style and amount of information provided is open to debate.
One of the key dangers of information sheets is the risk of giving
incorrect information. As the sheets are given out to everyone by non-
anaesthetic staff it is not possible to tailor advise to individual
patients. Patients who follow the advice then find themselves cancelled
due to specifics of their condition may feel aggrieved. Similarly we all
know that list orders are not set in stone, an early breakfast maybe fine
for the patient last on a morning list, but not for the first. With these
issues in mind it may be appropriate to give starvation times in excess of
what is medically correct. Additionally we should remember that not all
patients read the information sheet, believe the data on the sheet or
comply with the instructions.
Above all it is important to remember that a data sheet is not a
substitute for a pre-operative consultation with their anaesthetist.
Limitations of information sheets
Providing patients with good information prior to an operation is a
topical and important subject. However as R.Markham and A.Smith point out
the style and amount of information provided is open to debate.
One of the key dangers of information sheets is the risk of giving
incorrect information. As the sheets are given out to everyone by non-
anaesthetic staff it is not possible to tailor advise to individual
patients. Patients who follow the advice then find themselves cancelled
due to specifics of their condition may feel aggrieved. Similarly we all
know that list orders are not set in stone, an early breakfast maybe fine
for the patient last on a morning list, but not for the first. With these
issues in mind it may be appropriate to give starvation times in excess of
what is medically correct. Additionally we should remember that not all
patients read the information sheet, believe the data on the sheet or
comply with the instructions.
Above all it is important to remember that a data sheet is not a
substitute for a pre-operative consultation with their anaesthetist.
Yours truly,
Dr Tim Dexter
Consultant, South Bucks NHS Trust
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests