Peri-Op Care
Peri-op care is the care that is given to a patient in the hospital before, during and after surgery. This form of care, divided into three phases is used to prepare the patient both physically and psychologically for the surgical procedure and after surgery. The three phases of peri-op care are
Preoperative
The preoperative phase is used to perform any routine tests, attempt to limit pre-operational anxiety and instructions for pre-operative fasting, if required. While for emergency surgeries this period could be short and even oblivious to the patient, for elective surgical procedures the “preops” can be lengthy and information obtained during this assessment will be used as a basis for the care plan for the patient.
Intraoperative
The intra-operative period begins when the patient is moved to the operation theatre and ends with the transfer of the patient to the recovery ICU. During this period the patient is monitored, anesthetized, prepped, and draped, while the operation is performed. The main nursing activities during this period is focused on patient safety, infection prevention, and physiological response to anaesthesia.
Postoperative
The postoperative period begins after the transfer of the patient to the recovery ICU and terminates with the resolution of the surgical sequelae.