Category Archives: Clinical Anaesthesia

Definition Hyperkalaemia refers to a state of high serum potassium (K+), typically > 5.5 mmol/L. Potassium is split between intracellular (98%, ~150 mmol/L K+ concentration) and extracellular (2%, ~4-5 mmol/L […]

Imagine you arrive at your morning urology list with 7 cystoscopy cases. Your 1st patient is a 60yo male for a rigid cystoscopy. He has a drug eluting stent from […]

I remember one stressful case of a patient who was septic, and suffering a post partum haemorrhage. After induction of anesthesia, the patient’s blood pressure dropped precipitously requiring large doses […]

You induce a 60yo male for an aorto-bifemoral bypass with severe leg claudication. He has the expected past history of ischaemic heart disease (STEMI 5 years ago – stents + […]

Definition Hypokalaemia simply means low blood potassium (K+). Mild hypokalaemia refers to a serum potassium concentration of under 3.5mmol/L Severe hypokalaemia indicates less than 2.5mmol/L of potassium in the blood. […]

Imagine it’s your first month in anaesthesia. 30mins into an elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy your consultant goes for a tea break and leaves you in theatre alone with the patient. The […]

Why do we do what we do and why that makes us a big deal There is probably less known about anaesthesia than most other medical specialties. There are many […]

The other side of the blood brain barrier When I first began anaesthesia training, I found it very daunting and often stressful to have any kind of conversation the surgeon. […]

When you first arrive in theatre it is reasonably rare that everything isn’t ready for the fist patient to be induced. Engineering has performed their complicated checks on the machine, […]

What’s so special about anaesthesia meds? Anaesthesia medications are some of the most effective and deadly medications available for human consumption. Fortunately when used by an anaesthetist, they are remarkable […]