Anaesthesia
-
A case of an anaphylactoid reaction following the induction of anaesthesia is reported. Subsequent intradermal testing suggested propofol to be the causative agent.
-
Forty anaesthetists, of all grades, were interviewed without prior warning and questioned about the checks they had performed on their anaesthetic equipment before use. The results reveal that a substantial percentage (up to 41%) of anaesthetists perform inadequate checks. Furthermore, of those that do, few follow the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland's recent guidelines.
-
The authors have examined early records of the administration of ether anaesthesia in Manchester and the lives of several medical men involved in these events. Charles Strange, a dentist and chemist, in a letter to the Manchester Guardian published on 14 January 1847, described a self-administration of ether for dental extraction, but George Bowring, a surgeon, subsequently claimed the first anaesthetic administered by a doctor in Manchester. The merits of these claims are discussed in the light of the circumstances surrounding these events.
-
A new approach to internal jugular vein catheterisation in the neck (the 'very high' approach) was used in 335 patients over a 12-month period. The success rate was 100% and there were no complications. It proved to be an easy technique to learn and may be particularly useful in difficult and emergency situations.