[Aspects of pre-operational information of the patient in emergency surgery]

Under the conditions in which hospital activity is carried out, information can present important shortcomings. The aim of our study is to analyse the perception held by the patients of the information provided before an emergency surgical operation.

The study was carried out by means of a survey to 115 patients (66 men and 49 women) before they received emergency surgery, in the Hospital de Navarra, in the months from March to December, 1999. The sample was selected when the researchers responsible for this work were on duty. The majority of the operations corresponded to general surgery (39.1%) and traumatology (42.6%). The average age was 45.7 years (SD = 21.57, range 15-85 years).

The results express the relations and differences between the degree of information requested and the cultural level, age and sex of the patient. Eighty seven per cent of the patients had been informed about the operation they were about to undergo. Seventy eight per cent had not signed their consent for such an operation and the doctors signature appeared in only 6%. Some 8.7% did not feel they had received information from anybody. Seventy three per cent understood the information provided. The information was considered insufficient by 44.6% of the patients. Forty five per cent were able to express their doubts to the informant, and 96.4% of them were satisfied with the clarifications.

The patients considered themselves to be informed about the surgical process, but very few of them about the most relevant sensations they were to experience in post-operation. Information should be supplied that includes both types of content.