All patients included in the study consented to take part in this study. Each patient was asked to answer a questionnaire and submit a urine sample in order to be screened for the most commonly abused drugs in Egypt (hashish, tramadol, benzodiazepine, and morphine). Patients were then followed up both intra and post-operatively. Values of patient vital signs, Richmond Agitation-Sedation Scale (RASS) scores as well as clinical recovery scores (CRS) were all diligently recorded and analyzed.
Drug abusers and addicts form a challenge to the anesthetist because of the added potential risks involved in the administration of anesthesia to this subset of patients, including potential unforeseen drug-drug interactions. In this study, we aimed at screening all patients scheduled for elective orthopedic or general surgeries at the Cairo University Teaching Hospital during a set period of time for the most commonly abused drugs in Egypt.