Faut-il prémédiquer les patients avant une chirurgie ambulatoire ?

Although high levels of preoperative anxiety increase the risk of postoperative complications, premedication is frequently omitted in day surgery in the belief that it is unnecessary and delays recovery. Many ambulatory patients are anxious, as documented by preoperative anxiety measurement on visual analog scale. Provision of preoperative information alleviates patients' anxiety. For high anxiety level, premedication with midazolam in adult day-case surgery, does not delay discharge from hospital. Premedication is not only dedicated to relief of anxiety but also to decrease postoperative pain, the risk of nausea or vomiting, to improve surgical outcomes and to facilitate discharge.