Preoperative Cardiac Risk Assessment and Medical Management for Noncardiac Surgery

Advanced practice nurses (APNs) often care for patients who have risks for postoperative cardiac complications and face noncardiac surgery. Surgical urgency determines the initial preoperative evaluation, and the immediate action before emergency surgery is to identify high-risk patients and provide appropriate risk reduction. An elective surgery in those with active cardiac disease should be postponed until cardiac evaluation and treatment are complete. Asymptomatic patients may be risk stratified, and the revised cardiac risk index is easy to use and widely adopted. APNs have the opportunity to assess patient risk and take appropriate actions to minimize cardiac complications.