To the Editor: This letter encourages timely preoperative recognition of restless legs syndrome (RLS), for patient wellbeing, as well as for practical management of incidental procedures. RLS is a neurological disorder found in many older patients of either sex and in those with a variety of conditions including iron deficiency, pregnancy, uraemia, diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis. It may also affect patients with other neurological disorders such as peripheral neuropathy.1
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- 1. Garcia-Borreguero D, Stillman P, Benes H, et al. Algorithms for the diagnosis and treatment of restless legs syndrome in primary care. BMC Neurol 2011; 11: 28.
- 2. Medcalf P, Bhatia KP. Restless legs syndrome. BMJ 2006; 333: 457-458.
- 3. Restless Legs Syndrome Foundation. Surgery and RLS: special considerations for the surgical team when the patient has restless legs syndrome (RLS). http://www.rls.org/Document.Doc?id=2082 (accessed Mar 2013).
- 4. Bogan RK, Fry JM, Schmidt MH, et al. Ropinirole in the treatment of patients with restless legs syndrome: a US-based randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Mayo Clin Proc 2006; 81: 17-27.
- 5. Peacock J, Mishra G, Roy RC. Physostigmine and restless legs syndrome. Anesthesiology 2012; 117: 1144-1145.
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