Preoperative Screening for Sleep-Disordered Breathing in Children: A Systematic Literature Review.

Clinicians frequently underestimate or do not assess sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) in children in ambulatory surgical centers. Identifying the disorder and obtaining information relevant to anesthesia management can be assisted by the use of a standard questionnaire during preoperative assessment. We wanted to determine whether a preoperative screening tool increases clinician awareness of SDB in children and leads to a decrease in perioperative respiratory adverse events.

The Jehovah's Witness Population: Considerations for Preoperative Optimization of Hemoglobin.

Most members of the Jehovah's Witness community refuse blood transfusions, and there are variations in what alternatives they will accept depending on their personal decisions. To provide culturally competent care, healthcare providers need to be knowledgeable about substitutions for blood administration as well as the risks and benefits of available alternatives so that they can inform their patients. It has been recognized in the literature that preoperative optimization of hemoglobin levels with alternative treatment modalities through a multidisciplinary approach can improve clinical outcomes in patients who refuse blood products.