BACKGROUND The aim of this retrospective study was to compare the failure rates and the frequency of anaesthesia-related complications of two different methods of regional anaesthesia used for carotid endarterectomy--cervical epidural (CE) anaesthesia and cervical plexus block (CPB). METHODS The study included 1828 carotid endarterectomies performed in 1455 patients between 1996 and 2006. A c...

There has been an increasing trend worldwide to use regional anaesthesia for operative deliveries. The Confidential Enquiry into Maternal Deaths in the United Kingdom has demonstrated a steady decline in the anaesthesia-related deaths since the introduction of regional anaesthesia. There are lower morbidity profiles in mothers delivering under regional anaesthesia as well as better infant Apgar...

The feasibility of using computer-based EEG spectral analysis to monitor the level of anaesthesia during nitrous oxide-alphaprodine anaesthesia has been established by this study. At present, this system is capable of estimating the level of anaesthesia correctly from 55 per cent to 80 per cent of the time. There are several possible clinical applications of such a monitoring system during anae...

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 ...