ABSTRACT
In 2004 National Confidential Enquiry into Patient Outcome and Death defined the urgency of surgery or interventions into four main categories. These are immediate, urgent, expedited and elective. The category of urgency of surgery should be defined when a case is booked for theatre. It should be agreed between the surgeon booking the case and the anaesthetist being informed of the case. The urgency of surgery has implications for timing of surgery, preoperative assessment and investigations, conduct of anaesthesia and post-operative care. Although surgery is urgent, full resuscitation of the patient should have taken place prior to induction of anaesthesia to prevent unnecessary instability. As with urgent cases there is time for relevant investigations required, such as echocardiography or pulmonary function testing. Obviously, elective cases should be fully worked up for theatre. Medical conditions optimised, operations postponed because of significant intercurrent illness and specialist input received if required.
