The Risks of Marijuana Use on Postoperative Patients - Essay Example

The Risks of Marijuana Use on Postoperative Patients

Introduction

Marijuana also referred to as weed, pot, or grass among other names, is a greenish-gray blend of the withered floweret of Cannabis Sativa. People consume marijuana in different ways: smoking in hand-rolled blunts pipes or joints, brewed in drinks, mixed to be consumed in foods, and use of vaporizers to inhale marijuana. The use of marijuana kicked off around 400AD. Stated for the first time in America in 1850 only to be removed in 1942 due to the creation of the marijuana Tax Act, which signaled the beginning of the federal restrictions (Shiel, 2018).one of the biggest debates in America today is whether to make marijuana legal or not. Despite its illegalization in the year 1982, laws differ from state to state.in accordance with national conferences help by state legislation; many states in the country have modified the marijuana laws. Rewriting of these marijuana laws has permitted the utilization of marijuana in the medical field and recreation sector. Even though there is a percentage of people that reject the legalization of marijuana, recent statistics show that many Americans agree with marijuana consumption.

Despite the popularity of marijuana growing with each passing day in the United States, due to financing, a lot is not known. Therefore it is crucial to determine how pot might postoperatively influence the patient's recovery after surgery, mainly if it concerns the possible unfavorable effects of the drug (Shiel, 2018). The objective of this paper is to enlighten the idea of marijuana complications postoperatively. Additionally, this paper's significance is to prove that marijuana is not beneficial before and after surgery. Identification of potential initiatives to be implemented that could be essential in achieving certain levels of care for the patient population.

Theoretical Framework.

The principle concept in this analytical paper is how the use of marijuana influences postoperative complications. Currently, data proves that the increased acceptance of marijuana has led to a rapid rise in the use of marijuana in the United States. Between 2007 and 2017, statistics indicate that the figures of marijuana users had risen by 15 million. The current number of users being at 57 million, 24 million of those consumers, consumes marijuana daily. People have focused so much on the recreational use of marijuana that they forget other adverse effects that marijuana could have on them. The use of marijuana is leisurely done until one has to undergo surgery. They realize that they have to deal with postoperative complications that result from the initial use of marijuana.

Studies carried out so far indicate that the pharmacology of marijuana entails the use of the respiratory system, central nervous system, and breathing system. Consequently, these particular systems are the main targets of dispensed anesthetics, especially in general anesthesia. While surgery already has its existing risks, it is vital to form patients using marijuana to be analyzed to find out whether they encounter worse adverse effects. Before patients go under the knife, they are given consent forms to sign. During the signing, discussions of the updates on the process of surgery happens. Besides studies on the risks and advantages, patients are updated on possible postoperative risks (Copeland, & Howard, 2012). Some factors are likely to determine the body's response postoperatively. Even though not limited, are the genetic composition of the individual, general health status, or lifestyle preferences. Also though all patients are at risk of experiencing postoperative complications, the main focus of this paper is to find out the potential complications and risk factors for marijuana users.

Application of the theoretical framework

To fully comprehend this analytical paper, it is vital to understand the definition of used concepts. The notion of marijuana use and complications experienced postoperatively is laid out here. According to recent research, marijuana use is the ingestion of cannabinoid found in the cannabis Sativa plant. There are various routes of administration of cannabis. First, one can roll and smoke it like a cigarette, it is consolidated with food for consumption, and it is prepared as teal or oil. Marijuana is detected in the body by carrying out laboratory tests of blood, urine, or saliva (Marijuana addiction, 2020). A positive consequence of marijuana use detects delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol which is an active metabolite of marijuana.

Analytically the next concept is postoperative complications which refer to problems that affect patients after surgery. It is also assumed that postoperatively, complications afterward may be directly associated with the operation or not. When postoperative complications are defined on an operational scale, a grade scale exists which determines the grade and how severe the difficulties are. -delta 9-tetrahydrocannabinol is theorized to stop a significant side effect of anesthesia: nausea and vomiting experienced postoperatively (Hovarth et al., 2019). Thus many patients believe that if they consume marijuana before surgery, it will stop nausea and vomiting. Research, however, showed that even though THC slightly reduced the incidences of nausea and vomiting postoperatively, a hazardous side effect was noted. Chronic marijuana users took a longer time to recover from anesthesia. Even though marijuana use is advantageous in alternative situations, and it is of no advantage preoperatively. Instead, it causes postoperative complications.

Typically, the effects of marijuana peak fifteen minutes after consumption lasting between two to four hours. In chronic users, marijuana increases cardiac output, myocardial infarctions, as well as heart strokes. Administration of anesthetics during anesthesia causes airway obstruction, especially in the laryngeal airways (Hovarth et al., 2019). Significance of taking patient history preoperatively is therefore essential because marijuana is not supposed to be consumed 72 hours before the surgery.

Summary

Undoubtedly, today's society is very different from that which existed a decade ago, characterized by the variation of culture. Contributing to such a rapid change is continual health care expansion. Discoveries in scientific research have advanced technology as well as medicine, which has dramatically shifted the current lifestyle. Even though some current trends fizzle out as soon as they start, the use of marijuana is here.

The continuous variation in medicine, advanced medication, and increased medical procedures have improved individuals' lives. Given the potential risks already experienced in surgery, especially those administered with anesthetics, it is essential to discover the recovery incidences in chronic marijuana users after surgical operations. Since medicines are unavoidable phenomena, the anesthetist should identify possible complications and educate patients, in general, to make wiser decisions when it comes to marijuana use.