AAAHC: Updated toolkit to ensure surgery safety with obese patients

Editor's Note

The Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care (AAAHC) of Deerfield, Illinois, has released its revamped Ambulatory Surgery Considerations for Obesity and Obstructive Sleep Apnea Toolkit, ASC Focus October 2023 reports. The new toolkit provides updated guidelines on how healthcare providers can ensure that patients with obesity and/or obstructive sleep apnea remain safe throughout surgery. 

Some highlights of the toolkit include:

• Rates of obesity have tripled over the last 60 years, according to the National Institutes of Health, and approximately 70% of adults in the US are overweight or obese. 
• The toolkit includes a flowchart that can serve as an assessment resource for healthcare providers prior to surgery, taking into consideration a patient's body mass index (BMI), sedation levels and the presence of any preexisting conditions.
• It also includes updated considerations for obese patients who previously contracted COVID-19. 

Access to this toolkit and others can be found on the AAAHC toolkits webpage: https://store.aaahc.org/toolkits