Ensure that the patient can safely tolerate anesthesia for the planned surgery.
Mitigate perioperative risks such as pulmonary or cardiovascular complications.
Document current known medical problems, past medical issues, previous surgeries, anesthesia types, and anesthesia-related complications.
A detailed notation of diseases or symptoms such as:
Hypertension
Diabetes mellitus
Ischemic heart disease
Shortness of breath
Chest pain
Document severity, stability, associated activity limitations, exacerbations (current or recent), prior treatments, and planned interventions.
Review all related diagnostic test results and interventions.
List any allergies to medications and other substances (e.g., latex, radiographic dye).
Document tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drug use.
Note personal or family history of pseudocholinesterase deficiency and malignant hyperthermia.
Perform a standardized general review of all organ systems.
MET (Functional Capacity Assessment)
Assessment of the patient’s cardiopulmonary fitness or functional capacity is integral to the preoperative clinical examination.
Estimate a patient’s risk for major postoperative morbidity or mortality and determine whether further preoperative testing is required.
One metabolic equivalent of task (MET) is the amount of oxygen consumed while sitting at rest, equivalent to an oxygen consumption of 3.5 mL/min/kg body weight.