The Medical clinics of North America
-
Med. Clin. North Am. · Sep 1995
ReviewA stepwise strategy for coronary risk assessment for noncardiac surgery.
Physicians should adapt a systematic approach to cardiac risk stratification for patients being considered for noncardiac surgery, involving clinical evaluation, functional assessment, and surgical risk assessment for all patients and then deciding which patient needs to undergo noninvasive testing, coronary angiography and revascularization, perioperative monitoring, and aggressive postoperative care.
-
Syncope accounts for approximately 1% to 6% of hospital admissions and 3% of emergency room visits. Syncope is defined as a sudden transient loss of consciousness associated with a loss of postural tone with spontaneous recovery. Patients should not require electrical or chemical cardioversion to regain consciousness. Syncope must be clinically differentiated from other states of altered consciousness, such as dizziness, vertigo, seizures, coma, and nacrolepsy.