Surgery or Anesthesia Check List, Post Polio Support Group of Maine, ME. 04345, Private, non-profit 501 [c] (3) organization. Information on the late effects of polio to more than nine hundred polio survivors, their families, and health care providers throughout Northern New England and parts of Canada. Support for our work comes from donations from the public and from a grant furnished by the Pine Tree Society, workers, Roosevelt, Canada, health-care, families, post-polio, muscles, fatigue, Pine Tree Society, March of Dimes, late effects, iron lung, salk, Southern Maine Business Directory

PREVENTING COMPLICATIONS IN POLIO SURVIVORS
UNDERGOING SURGERY OR RECEIVING ANESTHESIA

Are you anticipating any kind of surgery in the near future? Do you want to know what special considerations should be given to polio survivors? You may find helpful a new article that has been added to our collection maintained at the Alpha One office in Augusta. It was submitted by Dr. Richard L. Bruno from the Post-Polio Institute and the International Centre for Post-Polio Education and Research in Englewood, New Jersey. Please contact any Alpha One office and request a complete copy. While the article was too long to include in this newsletter, we wanted to provide you with the pre-op checklist included at the end of the article. This has been reviewed by board members who recently underwent surgery and found the checklist quite informative. If you will be undergoing surgery, you may find this checklist helpful to take with you when you visit your doctor and undergo pre-op review. To print this checklist select here.

POLIO SURVIVORS' PRE-OP CHECKLIST

Give articles to surgeon and discuss:
* * * * * * * * * *	Pre-op lung tests Possibly having lower blood volume and blood banking or bloodless surgery Authorization for a longer stay in the hospital Orders for post-op anti-vomiting medication Positioning on the table during surgery Orders for staying warm in the recovery room and use of warm blankets Difficulty clearing secretions in the recovery room and on the nursing unit Orders for increased dose of pain medication Physical therapy for stretching and range of motion in hospital Placing articles about polio in the medical chart.
Give articles to anesthesiologist and discuss:
* * * * * *	Any lung problems Lower dose of pre-op calming medication Lower dose of anesthetic Longer-term paralysis of muscles with spinal anesthetic and curare-like drugs Orders for post-op anti-vomiting medications Difficulty clearing secretions in the recovery room
Give articles to nursing supervisor and discuss:
* * * * * *	Longer-term sedation with anesthetic Difficulty clearing secretions on the nursing unit Orders for increased dose of pain medication Needing help in moving in bed and in the room Not standing or walking until you are fully awake and able Anti-embolism stockings
Meet with PPS physiatrist before surgery and discuss:
* * * *	Post-op rehabilitation plan Physical therapy for stretching and range of motion in hospital Possible admission to a rehab hospital before going home Physical therapy for walking and increasing endurance at home.