• Deepak Singla and Mishu Mangla.
• Department of Anesthesia, BPS Government Medical College, Sonipat, Haryana, India.
• Anesth Essays Res. 2015 Sep 1; 9 (3): 331-6.

BackgroundPreanesthesia assessment is an important aspect of patient care. If a patient shows lack of interest during preanesthesia check-up or tries to rush through, it may result in incomplete history and general physical examination, compromising patient care.AimThe aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of patients presenting for elective surgery to Tertiary Care Hospital in Rural India regarding value and importance of preanesthesia check-up.Settings And DesignThis observational study was conducted in a Tertiary Care Teaching Hospital in Rural India. 1000 patients posted for elective surgery coming to preadmission anesthesia consultation (PAC) clinic over a period of 3 months were included in this study.MethodsPatients were asked to fill a questionnaire consisting of 15 questions before start of preanesthesia assessment. Each question was provided with multiple possible choices, out of which patient had to choose the most appropriate according to him/her. Scoring was done, with each question answered correctly being given 1 mark while incorrect answer was awarded 0 marks.Statistical AnalysisData were expressed as frequencies and percentage. Correlations studies were performed by unpaired t-test and one-way analysis of variance.ResultsAbout 27.4% of patients knew that they had come to PAC clinic for preanesthesia assessment, the rest were not clear. Similarly, only 18.1% knew that only anesthesiologist can perform a preanesthesia examination. 16.5% patients said that they would discuss their fears or queries regarding anesthesia in PAC clinic while 58.6% said that they would share such feelings with the surgeon in ward.ConclusionPatients had insufficient knowledge about preanesthesia assessment and its role in improving the outcome of surgery.

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