scheduled "TF" is given the preoperative hypodermic "on call.") That is, OR personnel
will notify the ward nurse to give the hypodermic about 1/2 hour before the completion
of the operation preceding the "TF" operation).
d. Patient's Grade. (See figure 2-3). The patient's grade is inserted following
his name if he is a member of the Army; the abbreviation "ret" is added for retired
personnel. The term "C-D" indicates civilian dependent. The inclusion of age
is important to personnel in both the OR suite and the anesthesiology service.
Children are scheduled before adults to avoid excessive dehydration in the children.
In addition, the instruments required for the operation will likely be different when
the patient is a child than when the same operation is to be performed on an adult.
As an example, a hernioplasty on a child requires fewer and smaller hemostatic forceps
and scissors than does this surgery on an adult.
e. Register Number. (See figure 2-3). The register number is used to help
identify the patient. The circulator must see that it is entered on the pathology forms so
that the specimen from a patient is properly identified (if two patients have identical
names, the register number may be the only accurate means of identification). In Army
hospitals, the social security account number is used (in addition to the register number)
to identify the patient and his clinical records.
f. Nursing Unit. (See figure 2-3). The column headed "NURSING UNIT"
indicates the location of the patient prior to surgery as well as the nursing unit to which
he will be sent upon completion of his surgery. Patients who have been given general
or spinal anesthesia are sent to the recovery room. Those who have been given local
or regional block anesthesia are usually returned to their original-nursing units.
g. Operation. (See figure 2-3). The circulator and the scrub must know the
location of the operative area and the site of the incision. These are often (though not
always) obvious to the specialist if he knows the definition of the operation (see
paragraphs 2-1 through 2-11). For an operation that might be performed using one of
several sites for the incision, the incision site should be specified immediately following
the name of the operation. Once the specialist is assigned to select the instruments for
the case, he obtains the instrument card (see paragraph 2-31) for that operation and
assembles the items recorded on the card. The inexperienced OR specialist
may need to use references for an understanding of some operations, especially
those named after individuals.
(1) Normally, Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary is available in every
OR suite. This volume includes a brief description of operations named for
the surgeon who originated or modified the procedure. These are examples: Albee's
operation--for ankylosis of the hip, consisting of cutting off the upper surface of the head
of the femur, and so forth; Bergenhem's operation--surgical implantation of the ureter into the
rectum.
MD0923
2-33