Hi everyone, I am starting my cby with pre admission testing. How can I best prepare for it?
pre admission testing
- Thread starter hnm
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Tequila.
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After drinking, I would suggest reading the preoperative evaluation chapter of whichever text you choose. I read through the one in Miller - it's VERY long, and may be too much, but I did have a bit of down time during that month, so it worked out.
Things you should probably get out of the month include:
- knowing whom to send for further cardiac evaluation. Google "ACC/AHA Perioperative Cardiac Risk Algorithm", and review the actual algorithm...it kinda tells you what to do.
- learn to read EKGs. If you have the time, there's a book written by Garcia (I think it's called "The 12 Lead EKG" or something like that) that is thick but very very good, in my opinion. At least get through Dubin.
- learn what to look for that may require airway management beyond "the usual".
- learn, as best possible, which tests should be ordered for which patients. To be politically correct, it's "not well defined"; to be non-PC, many do not know the literature about necessary testing. A healthy 35 y/o woman for carpal tunnel release does not need an EKG and lab work, but you may see requests for that. It may not be something you can change, but at least you should learn about it.
- you can try to read about the surgeries planned; this may be overkill but there's a text by Jaffe & Samuels that will help you out on this. Big, big book.
- don't hesitate to ask questions.
Good luck.
Things you should probably get out of the month include:
- knowing whom to send for further cardiac evaluation. Google "ACC/AHA Perioperative Cardiac Risk Algorithm", and review the actual algorithm...it kinda tells you what to do.
- learn to read EKGs. If you have the time, there's a book written by Garcia (I think it's called "The 12 Lead EKG" or something like that) that is thick but very very good, in my opinion. At least get through Dubin.
- learn what to look for that may require airway management beyond "the usual".
- learn, as best possible, which tests should be ordered for which patients. To be politically correct, it's "not well defined"; to be non-PC, many do not know the literature about necessary testing. A healthy 35 y/o woman for carpal tunnel release does not need an EKG and lab work, but you may see requests for that. It may not be something you can change, but at least you should learn about it.
- you can try to read about the surgeries planned; this may be overkill but there's a text by Jaffe & Samuels that will help you out on this. Big, big book.
- don't hesitate to ask questions.
Good luck.
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Bigdan has some great suggestions.
This rotation seems like kind of a waste in intern year, but...
I would try to focus on learning about the handful of things that are truly affected by, and affect, your anesthetic.
CAD, CHF, COPD, DM, coagulopathy/thrombocytopenia, and what to do about it. How are these optimized/evaluated? how are these managed periop/intra-op? How will the patient's medication regimen impact/be impacted? What ARE the data on spinals in patients on warfarin? On the new DTIs?
Things like this will be really important to know as you start to plan your own cases.
