M B Nejthardt, P Alexandris, S Bechan, M F A Bijli, S Chetty, J M Dippenaar, M Gibbs, M Johnson, H Kluyts, R Llewellyn, M Motiang, P Mogane, P Motshabi, B Mrara, F Roodt, U Singh, S Spijkerman, E Turton, J Van der Westhuizen, B Biccard
BACKGROUND: Low- and middle-income countries have a critical shortage of specialist anaesthetists. Most patients arriving for surgery are of low perioperative risk. Without immediate access to preoperative specialist care, an appropriate interim strategy may be to ensure that only high-risk patients are seen preoperatively by a specialist. Matching human resources to the burden of disease with a nurse-administered pre-operative screening tool to identify high-risk patients who might benefit from specialist review prior to the day of surgery may be an effective strategy...
February 13, 2024: South African Medical Journal