A patient "passport," outlining individual anesthetic experiences and side effects, can help patients to better understand the procedures they have undergone in the operating room and potentially avoid future, unnecessary complications.
Although more than 15 million Americans undergo surgery and anesthesia each year, many find the entire process to be complicated and confusing. And while anesthesia and surgery are relatively safe and common procedures, occasionally there are complications or side effects that are important pieces of information for any future surgical interventions.
Tricia A. Meyer, PharmD., M.S., assistant professor of anesthesiology, Texas A&M College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, and director, department of pharmacy, Scott and White Healthcare System, Temple, Texas, developed a test patient pamphlet titled “Your Anesthesia Passport” and distributed it to 200 patients, ages 12 to 83, in the ambulatory surgical center at Scott and White Memorial Hospital in Temple.
The passports, or work sheets, provided background information on the individual patient's anesthesia, and an explanation of the document. It also included information on the type of surgery and anesthetic regimen (medications, date of surgery and surgeon), and any side effects experienced (headache, nausea, vomiting, etc.) or other anesthetic concerns (intubations difficulties, latex allergy). The sheet also included ambulatory surgical center staff contact information.