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Medical Assessment and Care of the Surgical Patient

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Family Medicine

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Abstract

Surgery, whether elective, emergent, or acute, nearly always represents a major physiologic, psychological, and traumatic event in any patient’s life. The medical and operative care of the surgical patient therefore requires that careful consideration be given not only to assessment of the risk and benefit of the proposed operation but also to the likelihood of a favorable outcome. In some instances the decision to intervene (or to not intervene) is clear-cut and necessary. In others, factors such as reasons to operate, age, presence of concurrent medical conditions, and quality of life make the decision more difficult. Once the decision to operate has been made, the medical care of the patient is directed toward careful assessment of all conditions that may adversely affect outcome. Interventions must be instituted to treat or optimize any “reversible” medical conditions in the time available before surgery.

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Authors
  1. Mel P. Daly
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health Sciences University, School of Medicine, Portland, 97201, OR, USA

    Robert B. Taylor M.D. (Professor and Chairman) (Professor and Chairman)

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© 1994 Springer Science+Business Media New York

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Daly, M.P. (1994). Medical Assessment and Care of the Surgical Patient. In: Taylor, R.B. (eds) Family Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4005-9_57

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-4005-9_57

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4757-4007-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4757-4005-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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