Past Medical History

Next, the nurse should collect past medical history, medications, and patient allergies. Past medical history can alter patient care goals and treatments. Previous surgeries, hospitalization, and medical diagnosis’s; this includes family history and reactions to medical treatments. Patient medications including, prescribed, over-the-counter, vitamins, and herbal supplements should be reviewed. Many medications can cause surgical complications. Blood thinners or anticoagulants can cause excessive, difficult to control bleeding. Ginseng can affect blood pressure. These are just a few of the many potential adverse outcomes or potential drug interactions encountered in surgery. Finally, the patient needs to undergo a review of systems to discover