[The value of anesthesia consultation in relation to the single preanesthetic visit].
OBJECTIVE
In France, a preanaesthetic assessment (PAA) several days prior to hospital admission for a scheduled surgical or diagnostic procedure under anaesthesia, associated with a preanaesthetic visit (PAV) the day before, are compulsory. This study aimed at comparing the benefits of PAA with those of a PAV not preceded by a PAA.


METHODS
Prospective, controlled, randomized study.


METHODS
The study included 296 patients undergoing either a urologic, or ophthalmologic, or ENT procedure, randomly allocated either to a PAA (followed by a PAV) group or a PAV (without previous PAA) group.


METHODS
The main criterion of comparison was the duration of preanaesthetic hospital stay and the secondary criteria were the incidence of procedure postponements and patients' satisfaction respectively.


RESULTS
In the PAA group, the preanaesthetic hospital stay was shorter by 0.4 days (P = 0.001). Out of the 19 postponed procedures (7%), the cause of postponement was a medical one in 15 patients: 13 in the PAV group and 2 in the PAA group respectively (P = 0.009). The PAA was not considered as a constraint by most patients.


CONCLUSIONS
The PAA shortens the duration of preanaesthetic hospital stay and decreases the incidence of procedures postponed for a medical cause.
Blanc-Jouvan
M
M
Service d'anesthésie, hôpital de la Croix-Rousse, Lyon, France.
Mercatello
A
A
Long
D
D
Benoit
M P
MP
Khadraoui
M
M
Némoz
C
C
Gaydarova
M
M
Boissel
J P
JP
Moskovtchenko
J F
JF
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000776:Anesthesiology; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007902:Length of Stay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D013508:Ophthalmologic Surgical Procedures; D013517:Otorhinolaryngologic Surgical Procedures; D010343:Patient Admission; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D013997:Time Factors; D013520:Urologic Surgical Procedures
Intérêt de la consultation d'anesthésie par rapport à la seule visite préanesthésique.