Welcome to a video series on basic ECG interpretation. This series was designed for the pre-operative nursing team at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, but you may find each component useful if you are new to ECGs. Part 1: What is an ECG? Part 2: Rate, rhythm and axis Part 3: ECG interpretation and practical tips…
Author: The Anaesthetic Room
Supraglottic airways
Contents: What are supraglottic airways and how do they work? Types of SGAs What are supraglottic airways and how do they work? Supraglottic airways are airway devices that allow hands-free airway maintenance without the need for tracheal intubation. Advantages Disadvantages 1. Can be placed without direct visualisation of the larynx2. Fast and easy to place…
What is quality improvement (and how do I get started)?
Contents: Common terms and what they mean What is QI? How do I learn more? How to get started on a project? Common terms and what they mean (useful for exams/interviews): Quality improvement The term ‘quality improvement’ refers to the systematic use of methods and tools to try to continuously improve quality of care and…
How to find a paper
Contents: Databases Searching for a paper Reference managers Databases: A database is a searchable collection of information. In library research, a database is where you find journal articles. Each database contains thousands of articles which you can search for simultaneously and quickly to find articles with higher relevancy than searching in individual journals. The most common databases used in the NHS are:…
First day in anaesthetics – what do we do?
Topics included on this page: Pre-operative assessment Induction Maintenance Emergence Recovery Other useful links Pre-operative assessment This is a mammoth topic, but for the purposes of this article, we’ll stick to the information we need from the patients on the day of surgery. For novice anaesthetists planning to take the primary FRCA, this is an…
First day in anaesthetics – how does it work?
Topics covered: A ‘standard’ day On call shifts List order and management Working with theatre teams A standard day (of elective surgery) (Not all but a lot of) Anaesthetists start their day with some serious cycling and caffeine at crazy a.m… We tend to arrive in the department cloaked in lycra at 715-730am and get…
Pharmacology: Anticoagulants and reversal agents
See our page on haemostasis to understand anticoagulants and where they work on the haemostasis pathway. Antiplatelets are covered in a separate article. Classification of anticoagulants Drugs that block the extrinsic pathway – warfarin Drugs that block the common and intrinsic pathway – heparins Direct thrombin inhibitors – Dabigatran, bivalirudin Factor Xa inhibitors – Apixaban,…
Pharmacology: Antiplatelet agents
See our physiology of haemostasis page to understand how platelets work to form clots and why blocking ADP and glycoprotein IIb/IIIa can be helpful. Antiplatelet drugs: COX 1 inhibition (aspirin) Platelet phosphodiesterase inhibition (dipyridamole) ADP binding inhibition (clopidogrel, prasugrel, ticagrelor) Glycoprotein IIb/IIIa receptor antagonists (abciximab, eptifibatide, tirofiban) Dextran 70 Epoprostenol (Prostacyclin PGI2) Aspirin Uses: Analgesia,…
Physiology: Haemostasis
Antihaemostasis mechanisms – to prevent clotting in normal physiology Vascular endothelium produces a variety of factors to stop clotting in these 3 ways: Inhibit platelet adhesion Natural anticoagulants Fibrinolytic effects Inhibit platelet adhesion: Nitric oxide Prostacyclin (PGI2) Adenosine diphosphatase which degrades ADP, an essential compound for platelet activation Natural anticoagulants: Heparan sulphate (similar to heparin)…
Pharmacology: Drugs used for secondary prevention
Contents: Coronary artery disease cribsheet Secondary prevention in a nutshell ACEi/ARB Dual anti platelet therapy advice Beta blockers Statins Aldosterone antagonists References Check out our coronary artery disease crib sheet: Secondary prevention in a nutshell: After acute MI, NICE guidance gives the following recommendations for secondary prevention (CG172 published Nov 2013): Cardiac rehabilitation programme including…
The Anaesthetic Room 