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Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
Become a member and receive career-enhancing benefits

Our top priority is providing value to members. Your Member Services team is here to ensure you maximize your ACS member benefits, participate in College activities, and engage with your ACS colleagues. It's all here.

Become a Member
ACS
Strong For Surgery

Checklist References

Nutrition Checklist

Screening for Malnutrition

  • Mueller C, Compher C, Ellen DM, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (A.S.P.E.N) Board of Directors. ASPEN Clinical Guidelines: Nutrition screening, assessment, and intervention in adults. JPEN. 2011;35(1):16-24. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21224430

Risk stratification with Albumin

  • Hennessey DB, Burke JP, Ni-Dhonochu T, Shields C, Winter DC, Mealy K. Preoperative hypoalbuminemia is an independent risk factor for the development of surgical site infection following gastrointestinal surgery: A multi-institutional study. Ann Surg. 2010; 252(2):325-329. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20647925
  • Gibbs J, Cull W, Henderson W, Daley J, Hur K, Khuri SF. Preoperative serum albumin level as a predictor of operative mortality and morbidity: Results from the National VA Surgical Risk Study. Arch Surg. 1999; 134:36-42. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9927128

Benefits of Immunonutrition

  • Drover JW, Dhaliwal R, Weitzel L, Wischmeyer PE, Ochoa JB, Heyland DK. Perioperative use of arginine-supplemented diets: A systemic review of the evidence. J Am Coll Surg. 2011;212(3):385-399. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21247782
  • Marimuthu K, Varadhan KK, Ljungqvist O, Lobo DN. A meta-analysis of the effect of combinations of immune modulating nutrients on outcome in patients undergoing major open gastrointestinal surgery. Ann Surg. 2012; 255(6):1060-1068. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22549749

Blood Sugar Control Checklist

Medication Checklist

Bleeding Risks

  • Douketis JD, Spyropoulos AC, Spencer FA, et al. Perioperative management of antithrombotic therapy: Antithrombotic therapy and prevention of thrombosis, 9th ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. Chest. 2012; 141 (2): e326S-e350S. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22315266
  • Hall R and Mazer CD. Antiplatelet drugs: a review of their pharmacology and management in the perioperative period. Anesth Analg. 2011;112:292-318. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21212258

Beta-Blockers

  • Kwon S, Thompson R, Florence M, et al. β-blocker continuation after noncardiac surgery: A report from the surgical care and outcomes assessment program. Arch Surg. 2012;147(5):467-473. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22249847

Aspirin Use

  • Gerstein NS, Schulan PM, Gerstein WH, et al. Should more patients continue aspiring therapy perioperatively?: Clinical impact of aspirin withdrawal syndrome. Ann Surg. 2012;255(5):811-819. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22470078

Herbal Supplements

Smoking Cessation Checklist

Smoking and Increased Postoperative Risks

Smoking and Spine Surgery

  • Pearson A, Lurie J, Tosteson T, et al. Who should have surgery for an intervertebral disc herniation? Comparative effectiveness evidence from the spine patient outcomes research trial. Spine. 2012;37(2):140-149. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21681140
  • Pearson A, Lurie J, Tosteson T, Zhao W, Abdu W, Weinstein JN. Who should have surgery for spinal stenosis? Treatment effect predictors in SPORT. Spine. 2012;37(21):1791-1802. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23018805
  • Sandén B, Försth P, Michaëlsson K. Smokers show less improvement than nonsmokers two years after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis: a study of 4555 patients from the Swedish spine register. Spine. 2011;36(13):1059-1064. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21224770
  • Andersen T, Christensen FB, Laursen M, Høy K, Hansen ES, Bünger C. Smoking as a predictor of negative outcome in lumbar spinal fusion. Spine. 2001;26(23):2623-2628. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11725245

Safety of Smoking in the Preoperative Setting

Preoperative Smoking Cessation Programs Reduce Post-Operative Complications

  • Lindström D, Azodi OS, Wladis A, et al. Effects of a perioperative smoking cessation intervention on postoperative complications: A randomized trial. Ann Surgery. 2008;248(5):739-745. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18948800
  • Møller AM, Villebro N, Pedersen T, Tønnesen H. Effect of preoperative smoking intervention on postoperative complications: A randomised clinical trial. Lancet. 2002;359(9301):114-117. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11809253

SCOAP

  • SCOAP Collaborative, Writing Group for the SCOAP Collaborative, Kwon S, Florence M, et al. Creating a learning healthcare system in surgery: Washington State’s Surgical Care and Outcomes Assessment Program (SCOAP) at 5 years. Surgery. 2012;151(2):146-52. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22129638

Delirium

  • Marcantonio ER, Juarez G, Goldman L, et al. The relationship of postoperative delirium with psychoactive medications. JAMA. 1994;272:1518-1522.
  • American Geriatrics Society Expert Panel on Postoperative Delirium in Older Adults. Postoperative delirium in older adults: Best practice statement from the American Geriatrics Society. J Am Coll Surg. 2015;220(2):136-148.
  • Dasgupta M, Dumbrell AC. Preoperative risk assessment for delirium after noncardiac surgery: A systematic review. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2006;54:1578-1589.
  • Young J, Murthy L, Westby M, Akunne A, O'Mahony R; Guideline Development Group. Diagnosis, prevention, and management of delirium: Summary of NICE guidance. BMJ. 2010;341:c3704.
  • Fick DM, Semla TP. 2012 American Geriatrics Society Beers Criteria: New year, new criteria, new perspective. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012;60:614-615.
  • Alagiakrishnan K, Wiens CA. An approach to drug induced delirium in the elderly. Postgrad Med J. 2004;80:388-393.
  • Robinson TN, Eiseman B. Postoperative delirium in the elderly: Diagnosis and management. Clin Interv Aging. 2008;3(2):351-355.

Prehabilitation

  • Carli F, Charlebois P, Stein B, et al. Randomized clinical trial of prehabilitation in colorectal surgery. Br J Surg. 2010;97(8):1187-1197.
  • Nielsen PR1, Jørgensen LD, Dahl B, Pedersen T, Tønnesen H. Prehabilitation and early rehabilitation after spinal surgery: Randomized clinical trial. Clin Rehabil. 2010;24:137-148.
  • Makary MA, Segev DL, Pronovost PJ, et al. Frailty as a predictor of surgical outcomes in older patients. J Am Coll Surg. 2010;210:901-908.
  • Polanczyk CA, Marcantonio E, Goldman L, et al. Impact of age on perioperative complications and length of stay in patients undergoing noncardiac surgery. Ann Intern Med. 2001;134:637-643.
  • Wynter-Blyth V, Moorthy K. Prehabilitation: Preparing patients for surgery. BMJ. 2017;358:j3702.
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