OBJECTIVE Anaesthesiologists are applying regional anaesthesia for caesarean section at an increasing rate compared to previous years. In our study, we tried to evaluate the perspective of obstetricians towards this trend. METHODS Questionnaires were sent to e-mail addresses of obstetricians via the internet; 195 obstetricians replied. Sex, age, work place, employer, working durations as cons...

BACKGROUND As general anaesthesia may compromise the immune system, it has been hypothesized that latent varicella-zoster virus is more likely to be reactivated and cause herpes zoster in mothers after Caesarean deliveries under general anaesthesia. Our study was thus aimed at investigating the risk of herpes zoster among women during the first year after Caesarean deliveries under either gener...

General anaesthesia has become so safe since its introduction just over 150 years ago that the risk associated with it has become almost immeasurably small: less than one death solely attributable to anaesthesia occurs per 200 000 procedures. This progress has been achieved in the absence of generally accepted hypotheses for the mechanisms of general anaesthesia. Does it matter whether mechanis...

Editor—We thank Drs Birts and Combeer for their constructive comments on the use of and consent for general anaesthesia for Caesarean delivery in patients with pre-eclampsia in our study. In particular, they are concerned about a transient but severe hypertension along with cerebral haemorrhage and cardiac failure after tracheal intubation, and risk of airway complications. We understand, in mo...

Editor—We thank Drs Birts and Combeer for their constructive comments on the use of and consent for general anaesthesia for Caesarean delivery in patients with pre-eclampsia in our study. In particular, they are concerned about a transient but severe hypertension along with cerebral haemorrhage and cardiac failure after tracheal intubation, and risk of airway complications. We understand, in mo...

BACKGROUND A variety of techniques and drugs, many unlicensed, is used in paediatric regional anaesthesia. This study is the first to survey paediatric anaesthetists about the techniques and drugs used in paediatric regional anaesthesia. The aim is to provide a record and benchmark of UK practice. METHODS A postal questionnaire was sent to all members of the Association of Paediatric Anaesthe...

Editor’s key points † Outcome studies showing differences in mortality between regional and general anaesthetic techniques are probably impossible. † Meta-analyses have shown improved outcomes for specific endpoints associated with specific regional anaesthesia techniques. Summary. In recent decades, a number of studies have attempted to determine whether regional anaesthesia offers convincing ...

This survey was conducted in all 28 New Zealand District Health Boards with a response rate of 100%. The Clinical Directors of Departments of Anaesthesia were asked to quantify their current anaesthesia service delivery and to assess their workforce level. Over half of the District Health Boards reported understaffing, fifty percent occurring in hospitals of provincial cities or towns with an i...

The cardiovascular and neuroendocrine effects of a high-dose fentanyl anaesthesia (100 micrograms/kg body weight) were compared with those of a balanced type of fentanyl anaesthesia (5 micrograms kg-1) during upper abdominal surgery. High-dose fentanyl anaesthesia prevented the increase in catecholamine concentrations and attenuated the circulatory response to surgical stress seen in the group ...