Manual of Perioperative Care

Kate Woodhead runs a Healthcare Consultancy business specialising in the perioperative field. She is a former President of the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses (2002–2006), and between 1998–2001 served as National Association of Theatre Nurses, Chairman. Lesley Fudge is an Independent Consultant and past National Secretary of AfPP (formerly NATN) and is the Vice Chairman of the Latex Allergy Support Group. She was also a co-founder and past CEO of Friends of African Nursing and served as Treasurer of the International Federation of Perioperative Nurses.

About the Editors viii

Contributors ix

Foreword 1 Jane H. Reid xv

Foreword 2 Professor Lord Ara Darzi xvii

Section 1 Foundation for Safe Perioperative Care 1

1 The Context of Perioperative Care 3
Kate Woodhead and Lesley Fudge

2 Preoperative Assessment 11
Jane Jackson


3 Communication 23
Libby Campbell

4 The Perioperative Environment 33
Hazel Parkinson

Section 2 Infection Prevention in Perioperative Care 41

5 Infection Prevention 43
Martin Kiernan

6 Introduction to Decontamination and Sterilisation 56
Wayne Spencer

7 Wound Healing and Surgical Site Infection 70
Melissa Rochon

Section 3 Patient Safety and Managing Risks in Perioperative Care 83

8 Preoperative Care 85
Mark Radford and Ross Palmer

9 Anaesthetic Care 101
Russell Chilton and Ross Thompson

10 Medicines Management 117
Joanne Dickson


11 Fluid Replacement and Blood Transfusion 127
Fiona Martin

12 Intraoperative Care 135
Paul Rawling

13 Safer Moving and Handling and Patient Positioning 141
Susan Pirie

14 Pressure Area Care and Tissue Viability 151
Zena Moore

15 Thermoregulation 157
Eileen Scott

16 Venous Thrombosis Prophylaxis 163
Sue Bacon

17 Care of Surgical Instruments 171
Jane Smith

18 Swab and Instrument Count 177
Diane Gilmour

19 Care of Specimens 184
Rosanne Macqueen

20 Managing High-Risk Equipment 190
Chris Earl

21 Medical Imaging and Radiation 203
Johnathan Hewis and Sarah Naylor

22 Death in the Perioperative Environment 213
Kevin Henshaw

23 Postoperative Care 219
Pat Smedley and Natalie Quine

24 Pain Management 239
Felicia Cox

Section 4 Different Patient Care Groups 253

25 Neonatal Surgery 255
Helen Carter

26 Paediatric Surgery 263
Helen Carter

27 Care of the Adolescent in Surgery 271
Liz McArthur

28 Care of the Elderly Patient 279
Rita Hehir

29 Bariatric Surgery 285
Saheba Iaciofano

30 Perioperative Care of the Pregnant Woman 293
Adrienne Montgomery

Section 5 Different Approaches to Surgery 299

31 Key Principles of Laparoscopic Surgery 301
Joanne Johnson

32 Key Principles of Endoscopic Surgery 308
Louise Wall

Index 320