[Practice-relevant aspects on questions of general preoperative diagnosis and therapy]

Problems of preoperative preparation of patients with risk are pointed out. The anesthesiologist will be confronted more and more with high risk patients. It is difficult to make a risk prognosis. Therefore preoperative standardized examination programmes of heart, lungs, kidneys, water and electrolyte balance, blood and general metabolism are required, which is dealt with in this paper. The results achieved in anaesthesia consultation are described. Special attention has to be paid to diabetic obese patients, old people as well as people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. Preoperative therapy with digitalis glycosides, antihypertensive drugs and beta-receptor blocking agents is discussed. By means of specific preoperative measures the increased risk in this group of patients can be considerably reduced.