Problem: A patient is admitted to the hospital for major abdominal surgery, and the physician has ordered that a transdermal nicotine patch be used while the patient is hospitalized because the patient was a heavy smoker. While the patch is applied, the patient asks, "Why in the world would you want to give me a nicotine patch when I'm trying to stop smoking, aren't I supposed to stop using nicotine?"
1. How should you answer the patient's question?
2. Why is it important to minimize nicotine withdrawal prior to surgery?