After you have met Mr Hooper, what additional information do you require? Provide rationales for your answer

Question

You are working as anaesthetic nurse and note that the first patient on the list is Mr Hooper, 70 years old, who is undergoing a laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
What will be an ideal response?

Answer 1

Answers/rationales:
Patient's medical and surgical history: may have comorbidities that impact on anaesthetic management (e.g. cardiac disease).
Allergies: ensure that no medication or items are used on Mr Hooper for which he may suffer a reaction.
Airway assessment: assessment of the airway e.g. Mallampati will inform the anaesthetist if there may be difficulty managing Mr Hooper's airway.
Blood tests: may be relevant to identify haemoglobin levels or any other issues that may impact on Mr Hooper's anaesthetic management. If he is diabetic, his blood sugar levels will require monitoring.
ASA score: will inform the anaesthetist of Mr Hooper's overall fitness for surgery
Weight: used to calculate medication dosage and also whether any manual handling equipment may be necessary if Mr Hooper is obese.
Previous problems with anaesthesia: will inform the anaesthetist if Mr Hooper has suffered any previous adverse drug reactions or airway complications.
Current medications: will inform the anaesthetist of any potential drug interactions or if Mr Hooper is hypertensive, has he received his medications on day of surgery.