Perioperative medicine for the hospitalized patient

Given the increasing complexity of hospitalized patients and the increasing specialization among surgeons, there is greater reliance on hospitalists for preoperative assessment. Several institutions have developed surgery/medicine comanagement teams that jointly care for patients in the perioperative setting. Despite a growing body of evidence, it is important to recognize there are many gaps in the perioperative literature. This has led to considerable dependence on consensus statements and expert opinion when evaluating patients perioperatively. This review focuses on the preoperative cardiovascular and pulmonary evaluation of the hospitalized patient: the two systems responsible for the greatest morbidity and mortality. Prevention of postoperative venous thromboembolism and management of perioperative hyperglycemia are also discussed.