You are here:

Anesthesiology/having generat anesthetic while suffering with a cough and sore throat safe or not

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/8/2009


Question
in 2 days time i  am going into hospital for operation on my foot time of operation is 90 minutes , yesterday i started with a cough now today i still have a cough but with a sore throat is it safe for me to have general anesthetic in 2 days time i had a pre op accessment last week that went fine if it is safe what best treatment to ease this sore throat in next 2 days

Answer
If you are not acutely ill at the time of surgery I imagine it would be safe to proceed with a spinal or epidural anesthetic, and take your cough/breathing/etc "out of the equation".  On the other hand, if your sore throat gets worse and turns into an acute and symptomatic cough, fever, upper respiratory infection or the influenza--then you should reschedule this elective surgery.  

Anesthesiology

All Answers

Answers by Expert:

Ask Experts

Volunteer

JM Starkman, MD

Experience

Over twenty-five years of adult and pediatric, inpatient and outpatient clinical anesthesia practice--some private, some group.

Organizations
American Association of Physicians and Surgeons. My county medical society.

Publications
[not a researcher]

Education/Credentials
American medical school graduate. Board Certified. Fellowship trained Cardiovascular and Pediatric anesthesia subspecialist.

Past/Present Clients
Over 20,000 anesthetics, the majority of which have been personally managed, with less than 5% consisting of supervising nurse anesthetists or in-training resident physicians.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.