In this tutorial, the classical anatomy of the brachial plexus will be described. Anatomical variations of the brachial plexus will be subsequently explored and the associated clinical implications for the anaesthetist discussed.

Due to increased patient life expectancy and number of total hip replacements being performed annually, the burden of revision hip surgery is increasing. Surgery is complex and creates unique challenges for the anaesthetist. This tutorial summarizes the surgical techniques, potential...

An airway fire can be defined as a fire that occurs within a patient’s airway or that which involves an in-situ airway device or contiguous breathing circuit. Though uncommon event since the discontinuation of older more flammable anaesthetic agents, they...

Ultrasound is a favourite tool of the anaesthetist, but is seldom used in neuraxial anaesthesia. This tutorial aims to enlighten the reader; show the evidence behind neuraxial ultrasound, and guide them through the process of performing ultrasound guided neuraxial blocks,...

An update on learning from recent anaesthesia-related patient safety incidents reported in the UK. This tutorial covers three areas featured in these reports: safe neuraxial blockade, drug errors and never events.

This tutorial is a comprehensive review of up to date evidence regarding management of both the elective patient with known or suspected sleep apnoea and the emergency patient. Together with a practical approach to risk stratification and management, this tutorial...

Prolonged fasting in children, especially infants can result in dehydration, hypoglycaemia, hypovolaemia, hypotension, and other metabolic complications. A lot of debate in the recent years has risen about the usefulness of prolonged periods of fasting. Ideally children should not be...

Humidification of inspired gases is vital for the safe practice of anesthesia. This article focuses on the basic science of humidification, its measurement and its relevance in anaesthesia clinical practice.

Bone Cement Implantation Syndrome (BCIS) is a potentially fatal complication of orthopaedic surgery involving pressurised bone cement. This tutorial describes the clinical features and classification of BCIS, along with its incidence and proposed pathophysiological mechanisms. It also covers the prevention,...

Multiple Sclerosis is an autoimmune disease of the central nervous system that effects 1 million people worldwide, of which two-thirds are women and many are in their child-bearing years. The effects of pregnancy on disease progression, pregnancy outcome as well...