Anaesthesia
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Ex-premature babies are at risk of apnoea after surgery. Regional anaesthesia has been used as an alternative to general anaesthesia for some surgical procedures in the belief that it may be safer. However, single dose caudal epidural and subarachnoid anaesthetics have a duration of action which may be insufficient for some operations. ⋯ One other baby needed supplementation with nitrous oxide in oxygen in order to complete the surgery. The majority of babies slept throughout surgery. There were no reported postoperative complications.
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Eight experienced anaesthetists performed a 'cockpit drill', following instructions in the Association of Anaesthetist's checklist, on an anaesthetic machine that had a significant leak (3 l.min-1 at a pressure of 16 kPa). Only one anaesthetist detected the leak and this was by audible means rather than by any of the protocol's set manoeuvres. We demonstrated that a leak of 3 l.min-1 from the flowmeter block resulted in an inspired oxygen concentration of 6% when the anaesthetic machine was used with a minute volume divider ventilator.