title: Preventing postoperative medical complications. How primary care physicians can help.
abstract: Just as your concern for your patients' welfare does not stop at the operating room door, neither does your opportunity to improve their prognosis. Drs Elnicki and Shockcor believe that primary care physicians have a unique role in total patient care. In this article, they discuss prevention of major postoperative complications and recommend ways primary care physicians can help optimize their patients' perioperative status.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown.
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Elnicki
authors.forename: W T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Shockcor
mesh_terms: D003142:Communication; D003266:Continuity of Patient Care / Q000592:standards; D005194:Family Practice / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007400:Interprofessional Relations; D010348:Patient Care Team; D010819:Physician's Role; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D012307:Risk Factors