[The cardiological evaluation in patients undergoing to Day Surgery: when is indicated]

Guidelines established preoperative cardiac management of the patient undergoing non-cardiac surgery in hospitalization. Regarding the patients undergoing the surgery in DS, the management is not defined. Aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriateness of the cardiological consultation requested by the patients undergoing surgery with this method.

We examined the request of cardiological evaluation for patient admitted to DS of Sant'Andrea Hospital in Rome. We have considered: age, sex, clinic history, simpthomatology, electrocardiogram, cardiovascular objectivity, hemodynamic stability, comorbidity, therapy, type of the surgery, the motivation of the request.

Of 2350 patients, 495 patients (21%) have been undergone the preoperative cardiologic consultation. The request was resulted as unnecessary for 432 (87.2%) patients, appropriate for 63 (12.7%): 4 that had the ischemic heart disease without knowing this, 6 with severe hypertension; 2 with mitral valve prolapse and valvular regurgitation; 34 with congestive heart failure; 6 with the alterations in EKG : 3 with "Brugada pattern"; 1 with Pace Maker (PMK) that had to be reprogrammed before the operation; 3 under dual antiplatelet therapy; 7 that were taking the oral anticoagulant therapy. Cardiac complications occurred just in one case with patient suffering dilated cardiomyopathy, diabetes and hypertension; during the cataract surgery was presented the abrupt increase of blood pressure and left ventricular failure.

Preoperative cardiologic evaluation results as useless in most patients. However, in some particular situations had allowed the diagnosis of heart disease for the patients who did not know to have it.