Intubation conditions and postoperative myalgia in outpatient dental surgery: a comparison of succinylcholine with mivacurium

Patient care after discharge from the ambulatory surgical center

An important and often forgotten aspect of postoperative care occurs after the patient is discharged from the ambulatory surgical center. With more than 60% of all surgeries and procedures occurring on an ambulatory basis, what happens after the patient is no longer in continuous professional care is of concern to the ambulatory nurse. Numerous physical postoperative complaints are common and expected sequelae of anesthesia and surgery in the ambulatory patient. In this article, important postdischarge complications are reviewed and contemporary management options discussed. The information contained in this review article is valuable to the provider in educating patients regarding their anticipated course of postoperative recovery.

OBJECTIVES

-Based on the content of this article, the reader should be able to (1) identify important postdischarge complications to provide patients with comprehensive discharge instructions regarding their continued recovery at home; (2) discuss contemporary management options available to treat postdischarge complications; (3) realize the incidence of specific postdischarge complications and how that relates to patient satisfaction with the surgical experience; (4) recognize signs and symptoms of postdischarge complications; and (5) identify risk factors of patients for developing specific complications in the postoperative phase.

Do we need muscular blockers in ambulatory anaesthesia?

Since the introduction of the laryngeal mask airway, the majority of day case patients can safely be anaesthetized without the administration of muscle relaxants. If muscle relaxation is required, the modern non-depolarizing agents, vecuronium, rocuronium, atracurium, cisatracurium and mivacurium, provide an excellent choice. Succinylcholine should be regarded mainly as an option in the event of an emergency intubation, especially in paediatric patients.