Anesthesia professionals need to ask patients about these medications
MONDAY, March 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) is recommending that men avoid erectile dysfunction medications before surgery.
Erectile dysfunction medications that contain nitric oxide can cause a patient’s blood pressure to become dangerously low when combined with anesthesia and other drugs used during surgery, according to the AANA, and are best avoided preoperatively.
The group advises men not to take Viagra or Cialis the day before surgery because the drugs take more than 24 hours to clear the body. It’s also important for men to inform the person administering their anesthesia about their use of erectile dysfunction drugs.
“Anesthesia professionals need to know this information to prepare the anesthesia plan, and to keep patients safe,” Juan Quintana, R.N., AANA president, said in a new release from the association.
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