Surgery
Volume 26, Issue 9 , Pages 379-382, September 2008

Premedication and management of concomitant medication

Sarah Snape BSc MB BS FRCA is a Consultant Anaesthetist at Bedford Hospital, Bedford, UK. She trained in anaesthesia in Oxford and Cambridge. Her interests include critical care and education. Conflicts of interests: none declared

Iffat Anjum MB BS FRCA is a Staff Anaesthetist at Bedford Hospital, Bedford, UK. She qualified from Fatima Jinnah Medical College, Lahore, Pakistan. Her interests are orthopaedic and ophthalmic anaesthesia. Conflicts of interests: none declared

Abstract 

Traditionally all surgical patients were given a combination of drugs preoperatively, often a sedative and an antisialogogue; this was referred to as the ‘premed’. This practice has changed over the past few years and nowadays premedication is only prescribed for specific indications. This article aims to explain why there has been a shift in practice and explains the rationale behind commonly used drugs. The second half of the article aims to give general advice about which long-term medications should be continued into the perioperative period and which should be stopped.

Keywords: antiplatelet drugs, cardiac drugs, diabetes, premedication, warfarin

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PII: S0263-9319(08)00160-9

doi:10.1016/j.mpsur.2008.07.001

Surgery
Volume 26, Issue 9 , Pages 379-382, September 2008

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