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Study Examines Smoking Practices and Attitudes Among Anesthesiologists in China, the Country with the Highest Population of Smokers

Newswise - The statistics are frightening: one-third of the world's smokers (300 million) live in China, and chronic diseases caused by smoking are a growing burden to public health there. Current projections estimate that the number of tobacco-related deaths in China will increase to 2 million annually by 2025. A new study in the February issue of the journal Anesthesiology looks at whether Chinese anesthesiologists are willing to help their patients quit smoking, and ultimately help reduce these projected tobacco-related deaths.

Because patients in the U.S. are advised to abstain from smoking for as long as possible both before and after surgery, the study's lead author believes it represents a golden opportunity for people to take action to quit, and he is committed to supporting the campaign across the globe.

An estimated 30 to 40 million Chinese citizens undergo surgery each year, and many of these patients are smokers. According to Dr. Warner, this places these patients in contact with an anesthesiologist who may be able to help him/her stop smoking.

Dr. Warner and his team distributed surveys to 800 Chinese anesthesiologists at a Chinese medical meeting in 2009. The response rate was just over 60 percent and 10 percent of the anesthesiologists reported smoking themselves. The latter statistic is down from 23 percent in 2004.

Here's how the respondents reported they manage interactions with patients who smoke, as well as how the results compare to U.S. reports:

•Most respondents (73 percent) frequently, or almost always, asked whether the patient smoked (vs. 96 percent in the U.S.)

•Over half of the respondents (51 percent) advised about the health risks of tobacco use (vs. 52 percent in the U.S.)

•Sixty percent of the respondents advised patients to quit (vs. 57 percent in the U.S.)

•Compared to the nonsmoking physicians, the smoking respondents were significantly less likely to advise about health risks of smoking and advise patients to quit, even though most of the respondents understood the perioperative and long-term health risks of smoking

•Most respondents agreed that it was his/her responsibility as the anesthesiologist on the case to advise the patient about the dangers of smoking; few knew how to counsel about smoking or point patients to the resources they need to quit

"Most importantly, we learned that Chinese anesthesiologists recognize their responsibilities, and are willing to spend extra time to help their patients quit smoking," said Dr. Warner. "This survey is the first step in a bigger initiative to support Chinese anesthesiologists in this effort. Much like the work we are doing in the U.S., Chinese anesthesiologists' support of this work could further improve Chinese patients' surgical outcomes as well as patients' long-term health."

Please visit www.LifelinetoModernMedicine.com for more information on smoking cessation.

As part of a mission to promote new discoveries and influence clinical practice, the January issue of Anesthesiology marks the debut of a newly designated "Education" section. This section is designed to highlight clinical material, making it more accessible and relevant for implementation in everyday clinical practice.

More information on Anesthesiology, can be found on the journals' Web site, www.anesthesiology.org.

Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline to modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 43,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.

For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit www.LifelinetoModernMedicine.com.

Source: NewsWise