Study of prevalence of specific medical conditions revealed on routine preoperative evaluation in scheduled surgical procedure
European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine,
2022, Volume 9, Issue 3, Pages 1235-1243
Abstract
Background: Preoperative evaluation allows for comprehensive assessment, additional evaluation and optimization of the patient’s condition without delaying surgery and has the potential to reduce the number of late operating room cancellations due to newly discovered co-morbidity. Present study was aimed to study the prevalence of specific medical conditions which were revealed on the preoperative evaluation, assess their risk for surgery and provide medical recommendations for the same.Material and Methods: Present study was hospital based, observational study, conducted in children up to 18 years of age referred for medical evaluation prior to elective surgery.
Results: Out of 300 patients, maximum number of patients were between 2 and 5 years of age (34%) and110 patients (36.7 %) had one or more previously undiagnosed medical condition. Previously undiagnosed medical conditions were seen to be more prevalent in the female patients (46.3%) than in male patients (33%). 72 patients (24%) had a past history of surgery, 10 patients (3.3%) had history of worms, 2 patients (0.6%) had history of pica, 1 patient (0.3%) had history of haematemesis and 1 patient (0.3%) had history of factor VIII deficiency. Out of 300 patients studied, 82 patients (27.3%) were anaemic, 18 patients (6%) had eosinophilia on differential leucocyte count, 10 patients (3.3%) had worms in stool, 8 patients (2.6%) were suspected to have thalassemia trait/ minor. Majority of patients were diagnosed on the basis of clinical examination and investigation (76.3%), by routine investigations (25.4%)and on clinical examination only (20.9%).Common interventions in present study were iron and folic acid supplements (25.6%), antihelminthic medication (7.6%), steroids in the perioperative period (2.6%), advised thalassemia screening (2.6%), suggested tooth extraction (2.6%).
Conclusion: Anaemia was seen to be the most common previously undiagnosed medical condition followed by eosinophilia and the third being worms in stool.
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