title: Compliance with postoperative instructions: a telephone survey of 750 day surgery patients.
abstract: Patients undergoing day surgical procedures are given postoperative instructions not to drink alcohol, drive vehicles or make important decisions for 24 h. They are also advised to have a responsible adult stay with them at home overnight. Seven hundred and fifty patients were telephoned at 24 h postoperatively to determine their compliance with these instructions. Four per cent of patients drove vehicles, 1.8% consumed alcohol, while one patient made an important decision. A higher proportion of patients (5%) drove after general anaesthesia than regional anaesthesia or intravenous sedation (2.4%). The percentage of patients consuming alcohol was similar in both groups (1.8% vs. 1.9%). Four per cent of patients had no one staying with them overnight despite being accompanied out of the hospital. Patient compliance with instructions to not drink alcohol, drive or make important decisions may be improved by physician reinforcement of instructions and patient education.
authors.affiliation: Coventry School of Anaesthesia, Walsgrave Hospital, Coventry, UK.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Menezes
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Yogendran
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Jenkins
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chung
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000556:Ambulatory Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000765:Anesthesia, Conduction; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001334:Automobile Driving / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016292:Procedural Sedation; D003657:Decision Making; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods; D011182:Postoperative Care / Q000523:psychology*