Cardiac considerations

  • An echocardiogram and electrocardiogram should be performed prior to general anesthesia. They should also be performed before undergoing conscious sedation or regional anesthesia if the last investigation was more than one year previously, or if there had been an abnormal echocardiogram in the preceding 7-12 months.
  • For local anesthesia, an echocardiogram should be performed if there had been an abnormal result obtained previously.

Information based on consensus statement (published in January 2010)