Guidelines on Smoking as Related to the Perioperative Period
Overview:
- Smoking is a major global health problem
Greatest preventable cause of death in Australia and New Zealand. - ↑ risk of perioperative respiratory, cardiac, and wound related complications
- Cessation prior to surgery improves surgical outcome
- Perioperative period is a “teachable moment”, where smokers may quit
Benefits of cessation:
- Quitting smoking for:
- 12 hours will normalise carboxyhaemoglobin and nicotine levels
Could be expected to improve tissue oxygen delivery. - One day has a reduced IHD risk
- 2 days has improved taste and reduced sputum load
- Three weeks has been shown to improve wound healing
- 2 months has normal sputum load, and improved pulmonary function
- Six months results in significant recovery of immune function
- One year has a 50% reduction in IHD risk
- 5 years; CVA and cervical cancer risk is normalised and oral and oesophageal cancer risk is halved
- 10 years; lung cancer risk is halved
- 15 years; IHD risk has normalised
- 12 hours will normalise carboxyhaemoglobin and nicotine levels