Patients undergoing day surgical procedures are given postoperative instruc
tions not to drink alcohol, drive vehicles or make important decisions for
24 h. They are also advised to have a responsible adult stay with them at h
ome overnight. Seven hundred and fifty patients were telephoned at 24 h pos
toperatively to determine their compliance with these instructions. Four pe
r cent of patients drove vehicles, 1.8% consumed alcohol, while one patient
made an important decision. A higher proportion of patients (5%) drove aft
er general anaesthesia than regional anaesthesia or intravenous sedation (2
.4%). The percentage of patients consuming alcohol was similar in both grou
ps (1.8% vs. 1.9%). Four per cent of patients had no one staying with them
overnight despite being accompanied out of the hospital. Patient compliance
with instructions to not drink alcohol, drive or make important decisions
may be improved by physician reinforcement of instructions and patient educ
ation.