Subject: Anaesthesia

Week 1

Preparation and Monitoring of Critical Cases

Preparedness

Considerations

Invasive blood pressure monitoring

Blood gas analysis

Spirometry

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

List generalised considerations for preparing to anaesthetise emergency cases

Setup and use invasive blood pressure monitoring and how this relates to oscillometric and doppler techniques

Interpret a basic blood gas analysis and outline how this abnormality may have occurred

Explain what spirometry is and how it differs from capnography

Week 2

Abdominal Surgical Emergencies

Gastric dilatation and volvulus

Haemoabdomen

The acute abdomen

Epidural anaesthesia

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by gastric dilatation and volvulus

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by haemoabdomen

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by the acute abdomen

Suggest considerations for these surgeries and list possible complications that may arise during anaesthesia

List the total and relative contraindications for epidural anaesthesia

Week 3

Thoracic Surgical Emergencies

Pyothorax

Penetrating injuries

Diaphragmatic rupture

Mechanical ventilation

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by pyothorax

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by a penetrating injury

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by diaphragmatic rupture

Suggest considerations for these surgeries and list possible complications that may arise during anaesthesia

Feel confident to safely choose ventilator settings for use during non-emergency surgery

Week 4

Caesareans

Physiology

ASA categorisation

Anaesthesia protocols

Anaesthesia infusions (TIVA)

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the physiological considerations for caesarean section

Assign and justify the choice of an ASA category to the caesarean section patient

Suggest a safe protocol for caesarean section, with variation based on differing drug availability depending on clinical setting

Understand the basis of total intravenous anaesthesia infusions

Week 5

What’s Happening?  What Should I do?

Hypoxia

Hypocapnia

Hypotension

ECG Abnormalities

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

List possible causes of, and suggest treatments for hypoxia and hypocapnia

List possible causes of hypotension and discuss the physiology of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options

Interpret the most common ECG abnormalities seen and understand how these rhythms will affect the patient, and have an understanding of possible treatment options

Week 6

CRASH!

Recover CPR guidelines

Crash box

Basic life support

Advanced life support

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

List the vital components of a crash box

Perform safe and effective chest compressions in a variety of patient sizes and conformations

Understand how to monitor the effectiveness of CPR in the clinical setting

Interpret the most common ECG rhythms seen during CPR

Understand what drug treatment options are available during CPR

Week 1

Preparation and Monitoring of Critical Cases

Preparedness

Considerations

Invasive blood pressure monitoring

Blood gas analysis

Spirometry

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

List generalised considerations for preparing to anaesthetise emergency cases

Setup and use invasive blood pressure monitoring and how this relates to oscillometric and doppler techniques

Interpret a basic blood gas analysis and outline how this abnormality may have occurred

Explain what spirometry is and how it differs from capnography

Week 2

Abdominal Surgical Emergencies

Gastric dilatation and volvulus

Haemoabdomen

The acute abdomen

Epidural anaesthesia

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by gastric dilatation and volvulus

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by haemoabdomen

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by the acute abdomen

Suggest considerations for these surgeries and list possible complications that may arise during anaesthesia

List the total and relative contraindications for epidural anaesthesia

Week 3

Thoracic Surgical Emergencies

Pyothorax

Penetrating injuries

Diaphragmatic rupture

Mechanical ventilation

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by pyothorax

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by a penetrating injury

Understand the physiological disturbances caused by diaphragmatic rupture

Suggest considerations for these surgeries and list possible complications that may arise during anaesthesia

Feel confident to safely choose ventilator settings for use during non-emergency surgery

Week 4

Caesareans

Physiology

ASA categorisation

Anaesthesia protocols

Anaesthesia infusions (TIVA)

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand the physiological considerations for caesarean section

Assign and justify the choice of an ASA category to the caesarean section patient

Suggest a safe protocol for caesarean section, with variation based on differing drug availability depending on clinical setting

Understand the basis of total intravenous anaesthesia infusions

Week 5

What’s Happening?  What Should I do?

Hypoxia

Hypocapnia

Hypotension

ECG Abnormalities

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

List possible causes of, and suggest treatments for hypoxia and hypocapnia

List possible causes of hypotension and discuss the physiology of both pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options

Interpret the most common ECG abnormalities seen and understand how these rhythms will affect the patient, and have an understanding of possible treatment options

Week 6

CRASH!

Recover CPR guidelines

Crash box

Basic life support

Advanced life support

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

List the vital components of a crash box

Perform safe and effective chest compressions in a variety of patient sizes and conformations

Understand how to monitor the effectiveness of CPR in the clinical setting

Interpret the most common ECG rhythms seen during CPR

Understand what drug treatment options are available during CPR

Week 1

Preparation, Priorities and Checklists

Patient safety

The anaesthesia plan and patient priorities

Preparation and checklists

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand how preparation and use of checklists improve patient safety

Prepare individual anaesthesia plans for sick patients and/or complex procedures

Understand how to prioritise important considerations

Understand how to prepare the patient and equipment to minimise harmful delays and mistakes

Construct and use relevant patient safety checklists

Week 2

Ventilation, Capnography and Neuromuscular Blockade

Physiology of spontaneous and controlled ventilation

Ventilators

Capnography

Neuromuscular blockade

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Understand in which situations it is appropriate to use controlled ventilation

Understand how to set up a ventilator and what all the buttons do!

Understand the physiology and technology of capnography

Understand how to interpret different capnograph traces

Understand how to use and monitor neuromuscular blocking drugs

Week 3

Advanced Monitoring and Cardiovascular Support

Physiology of heart rate and blood pressure

The electrocardiogram

Measuring blood pressure

Treating hypotension and arrhythmias

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Have a better understanding of ECG interpretation and when to worry

Understand how to interpret blood pressure measurements

Understand when and how to treat common arrhythmias

Understand different ways of treating hypotension

Week 4

Perioperative Analgesia

Analgesic drugs in the peri-anaesthetic period

Multimodal analgesia

Analgesic infusions

Using local anaesthetic techniques

Learning objectives
After completion of this week, participants should be able to:

Have an understanding of the pharmacology of analgesic drugs

Understand which drugs are useful in which situations

Select and prepare analgesic drugs for intravenous infusions

Understand and select appropriate local anaesthetic techniques for different procedures