As part of their training, Associates-in-Training (AiTs) will spend time in hospital within surgical specialties. Most hospitals have dedicated clinics for the preoperative assessment of patients scheduled for elective surgery, which are usually run by specialist nurses. However, sometimes, the responsibility for preoperative assessment will fall to the AiT. If you have not done this before, it can be daunting and it may be difficult to know which investigations patients need. Most hospitals will have preoperative assessment guidelines and proformas for you to use but here are some basics to get you started.
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