Awareness of the Role of Anaesthetists and Importance of Preanaesthetic Check-up among Patients: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract

Introduction: Patients scheduled to undergo elective surgeries should be assessed, well in advance, by anaesthetists with a view to plan optimal preparations and perioperative management regarding their anaesthetic requirements. Aim: To assess the knowledge of the role of anaesthetists during the perioperative period and the importance of preanesthetic check-up among patients undergoing elective surgery. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Khaja Bandanawaz Institute of Medical Sciences, Kalaburgi, Karnataka, India, from August 2019 to February 2020. The study involved 300 patients posted to the preanesthetic check-up clinic, over a span of six months for elective surgeries. Patients were asked to complete a questionnaire consisting of 17 questions. Statistical analysis was carried out using Statistical Social Science Packages (SPSS) version 16.0 for Microsoft Windows and Excel. Results: A total of 66% (198) patients were males. The mean age of participants was 38.68±10.35 years. Graduates made up 28.6% of the participants, and 44.3% of them either had some schooling (primary or secondary) and the rest 27% did not have any education. Overall, 23% (69) participants had a history of surgery and except one, all received both Preanaesthetic Checkup (PAC) and anaesthesia during their previous surgery. The mean percentage (89.3%) of awareness was highest among the participants with a history of previous surgery (p-value <0.001). Conclusion: The present study concluded that demographic characteristics such as age, sex, occupation, education and residence do not influence the awareness and importance of preanesthetic check-up clinic however, history of previous surgery was statistically significant.