Step 7: Define antecedents
and consequences
Antecedents
Antecedents and consequences help to
highlight the social contexts in which the
concept is used and help to refine further
the defining attributes (Walker & Avant
2005). The antecedents must therefore
be present for the concept to occur. Within
perioperative vulnerability the antecedents
that must be in place are as follows: the
patient must require surgical intervention
and this may be elective or emergency
surgery; they must require an anaesthetic,
either general or regional; they must have
consented to surgery, been prepared for
theatre and been exposed to the stressor/
aggravator which causes anxiety (Figure 1).
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