Course: Road to Recovery: Mastering Postoperative Care of the High-Risk Patient

NCEPOD Report: Knowing the risk. (Image credit: NCEPOD, source) So, what do we know so far about perioperative risk? We know that: Approximately 1 in 5 patients will sustain a …

Before receiving a patient, after their discharge or, effectively at the handover moment at the start of your shift, you will be confirming that the bedside is ready and suitable. …

Now that we have introduced the concept of the pain ladder, this section will concentrate on the different classifications of analgesia that you might use in the perioperative period. Step …

There are a few postoperative complications to be aware of following colorectal surgery. These can be classified into general and specific complications: Stomas Bowel diversion surgeries. (Image credit: National Institute …

Let’s begin with a definition and an introduction to the common signs and symptoms of delirium, and how we can gain confidence in diagnosing it. Delirium is a syndrome, which …

As we have mentioned, early enteral nutrition is key in the postoperative period. The optimal way to feed a patient postoperatively is via the oral route, however, there will be …

Can we be more precise in defining risk for patients? So, in an ideal world, a risk prediction tool would allow the Perioperative Care Team to calculate a patient’s risk …

Please take a minute to watch the video above. Here, Dr John Whittle from University College Hospital London introduces the concept of prehabilitation and getting high-risk patients ready for major …

As Ellie has just told us, perioperative care begins from the moment a patient contemplates having surgery, up until this is effectively delivered. It must support the patient through their …

So far we have made a gentle introduction to the POCU in the context of the principles of perioperative medicine, giving ample consideration to the different perioperative risks patients have …

Physical barriers & reflexes protect the airway and the lungs from foreign bodies (e.g. particles of various sizes). Nasal hairs act as a physical barrier to foreign body inhalation and …

To complement the 8-week online Future Learn course: ‘Road to recovery – Mastering Postoperative Care of the High-Risk Patient’ we have also written a blended learning package. What is blended …

Mrs Taylor continued… Predictably the blood results will not be available for more than an hour, so you decide to run a blood gas on Mrs Taylor to check her …

Patient education prior to surgery is an established part of the preoperative pathway. It is widely accepted that those patients who are well prepared, both physically and mentally, prior to …

Anatomy and physiology of the Thyroid gland The thyroid gland. (Image credit: Don Bliss (Illustrator), source and license) The thyroid gland lies in front of the larynx in the neck …