Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Anticholinergic premedication

K M Leighton, H D Sanders

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society Journal

|November 1, 1976

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Routine preoperative anticholinergic medication like atropine may not be necessary for most surgical patients. A study found only 2% of unpremedicated patients experienced significant secretion problems, suggesting it is insufficient to warrant routine use.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Polypharmacy in the Elderly: Drug reactions and interaction in the aged.

Canadian family physician Medecin de famille canadien·2011

Same author

"Write the vision, and make it plain...".

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010

Same author

Of meetings.

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010

Same author

Tribute to a.d. Kelly.

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010

Same author

Letter from Scandinavia: a Swedish sabbatical.

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010

Same author

All work and no play.

Canadian Medical Association journal·2010

Same journal

Contralateral spread of local anaesthetic solutions.

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society journal·1986

Same journal

Flexion deformity of metacarpo-phalangeal joint following extravasation of thiopentone.

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society journal·1986

Same journal

Anaphylactic reaction to fentanyl or preservative.

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society journal·1986

Same journal

Further improvements in the technique of fiberoptic intubation.

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society journal·1986

Same journal

Aspiration pneumonia and coma--an unusual presentation of dystrophic myotonia.

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society journal·1986

Same journal

Cardiac arrest following inhalation induction of anaesthesia in a child with Duchenne's muscular dystrophy.

Canadian Anaesthetists' Society journal·1986

See all related articles

Area of Science:

Anesthesiology
Pharmacology

Background:

Anticholinergic medications such as atropine and scopolamine are often used for premedication in surgery.
Concerns exist regarding the necessity and potential side effects of routine anticholinergic use.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the incidence of problematic secretions in surgical patients without anticholinergic premedication.
To determine if routine preoperative anticholinergic medication is warranted based on secretion management.

Main Methods:

A comparative study involving 244 surgical patients without anticholinergic premedication and 160 patients with atropine or scopolamine premedication.
Exclusion criteria included infants and patients undergoing heart surgery.
Eleven anesthesiologists reported on oropharyngeal and tracheobronchial secretion issues.

Related Experiment Videos

Main Results:

Only 2% of patients who did not receive anticholinergic premedication experienced secretion problems requiring treatment.
The majority of unpremedicated patients managed secretions adequately without intervention.

Conclusions:

The low incidence of problematic secretions suggests that routine preoperative anticholinergic medication is not justified for most surgical patients.
Further research may explore specific patient populations who could benefit from anticholinergic premedication.