Anaesthesia
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We assessed the basic and advanced cardiopulmonary resuscitation skills of 30 trainee anaesthetists in a simulated exercise. Only one person performed basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation as outlined in the 1992 European Resuscitation Council guidelines. ⋯ Neither the seniority of the anaesthetists nor their postgraduate qualifications correlated with their performance level. We conclude that all trainee anaesthetists need to undergo regular training and assessment of their resuscitation skills.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study Clinical Trial
A comparison of droperidol and cyclizine in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting associated with patient-controlled analgesia.
Fifty ASA 1 or 2 patients scheduled to undergo major gynaecological surgery were allocated randomly to one of two groups. All patients received a standard anaesthetic regimen. Patients in group 1 received droperidol 1.25 mg given intravenously 20 min prior to the end of surgery and a patient-controlled analgesia infusion containing morphine 1 mg.ml-1 and droperidol 0.05 mg.ml-1. ⋯ Fifteen of 25 patients (60%) in group 1 and 18 (72%) of 25 in group 2 suffered no nausea or vomiting postoperatively. Two patients (8%) in group 1 and three (12%) in group 2 suffered severe postoperative nausea or vomiting. We conclude that cyclizine is as effective as droperidol in the prevention of postoperative nausea and vomiting when included in a patient-controlled analgesia infusion using morphine.
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Cystic fibrosis occurs in 1 in 2000 children and the majority now reach adulthood. The disease is a complex multisystem disorder which is likely to challenge anaesthetists with increasing frequency. In this review the presentation and genetics of the disease are briefly described, followed by a detailed account of the pathophysiology relevant to anaesthesia. The pre-operative assessment and conduct of anaesthesia are discussed and some suggestions made regarding management.