Benjamin Mothibe Bussmann, Edward Tobias Pring, Ashish Rohatgi and Aatif Amir Husain
Presenter(s)
Benjamin Bussmann Foundation Year - 1 Doctor, Whipps Cross Hospital, London
Aatif Amir Husain 3rd Year Medical Student, Barts & The London SMD (Queen Marys), London
Abstract
Introduction:
Smoking has adverse effects on surgical outcomes in terms of in-hospital mortality, need for ITU admission and postoperative infection. Additionally smoking cessation prior to surgery has been shown to be beneficial for patients in terms of postoperative cardiovascular complications, wound healing and need for secondary surgery. NICE public health guidance 48 sets out clear recommendations for smoking cessation in secondary care.
Methods:
We present an audit of smoking cessation amongst surgical patients at a University Hospital in London. Information was obtained through patient interview and review of patient notes for a total of 61 surgical inpatients.
Results:
Despite a 100% identification rate of smoking patients, only 15% of smokers had any intervention in terms if information provision or prescription of nicotine replacement therapy. This was despite existing simple referral pathways to smoking cessation services and readily available pharmacotherapy.
Implementations:
• Opt-out referral system introduced to preoperative assessment clinic.
o All elective surgical patients attend this clinic
o Aims to achieve timely referral to smoking cessation services prior to elective surgery.
• Smoking cessation sticker added to the front of drug charts
o Must be completed by surgical doctors
o Aims to prompt smoking cessation referrals for all appropriate in-patients
