Perspectives on sustainable practices in the use of nitrous oxide for labour analgesia: A patient and staff survey.

Background: Climate change has emerged as the single biggest global health threat of the twenty-first century. Nitrous oxide accounts for the largest carbon footprint amongst our use of anaesthetic gas. It is a potent greenhouse gas possessing a global warming potential of approximately 265 times that of carbon dioxide.

Evaluation of the 'Sip Til Send' regimen before elective caesarean delivery using bedside gastric ultrasound: A paired cohort pragmatic study.

Background: Pre-operative fasting is routinely advocated to avoid pulmonary aspiration. The European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care (ESAIC) recommends a fasting period of 2 h for liquids before surgery. Liberal drinking policies such as the 'Sip Til Send' are a suggested alternative to maintain hydration before surgery.

Chewing Gum for Prevention of Nausea and Vomiting After Elective Caesarean Section: a Pilot Randomised Controlled Trial.

Nausea and vomiting are common complications in patients undergoing caesarean delivery under regional anaesthesia. When experienced after surgery, they may delay recovery, reduce patient satisfaction and affect the bonding between mother and baby. Various pharmacological and non-pharmacological approaches for prophylaxis and treatment of postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) have been employed with different degree of efficacy.

Development, implementation and evaluation of high-quality virtual preoperative anaesthetic assessment during COVID-19 and beyond: a quality improvement report.

Background: Preoperative risk factor identification and optimisation are widely accepted as the gold standard of care for elective surgery and are essential for reducing morbidity and mortality. COVID-19 public health restrictions required a careful balance between ensuring best medical practices and maintaining safety by minimising patient face-to-face attendance in the hospital. Based on the successful implementation of telemedicine (TM) in other medical specialties and its feasibility in the preoperative context, this study aimed to develop, implement and evaluate a high-quality virtual preoperative anaesthetic assessment process.

The evolution of the midwife in the obstetric high dependency unit.

Background: This study involves two stand-alone tertiary level maternity hospitals with a combined average of 17,000 births per year, and with approximately 300 obstetric high dependency unit (OHDU) admissions annually. Many midwives feel that working in an OHDU does not constitute normal midwifery work and they have voiced concerns regarding their training in this setting. Midwives and nurses from different departments throughout the two hospitals are often asked to care for the OHDU patients.

Reducing Caesarean Section Surgical Site Infection (SSI) by 50%: A Collaborative Approach.

Objective: Caesarean section surgical site infection (SSI) is a surgical wound site infection occurring within 30 days of surgery with a reported incidence of 3-15%. This quality improvement (QI) project aimed to reduce caesarean section SSI by 50% in a tertiary maternity center.

Methods: Using multidisciplinary team approach, the project was designed with evidence-based interventions.

Managing opioid consumption after caesarean delivery: a quality improvement initiative.

Introduction: Caesarean delivery is the most common major surgical procedure performed worldwide and pain management after caesarean delivery remains challenging. Finding a balance between sufficient postoperative pain relief and excess sedation secondary to opioids is often difficult in this patient population. This quality improvement project aimed to manage the amount of opioid consumption after caesarean delivery using a new postoperative analgesic regimen.

An ultrasound assessment of gastric emptying following tea with milk in pregnancy: A randomised controlled trial.

Background: Peri-operative fasting guidelines allow clear fluids including tea without milk to be consumed up to 2 h before surgery. Recent evidence has shown that a modest amount of milk consumed with clear fluids does not significantly slow gastric emptying.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to compare the gastric emptying of tea with milk versus water using ultrasonography in fasted pregnant patients.

Accidental dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache: a retrospective review in an Irish maternity hospital.

Background: Accidental dural puncture (ADP) during epidural catheter insertion and the possible consequent post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) remain challenging complications in obstetric anaesthesia. ADP/PDPH can represent a considerable degree of morbidity for the parturient and require immediate diagnosis and appropriate management to ensure recovery and avoid complications.

Aim: This retrospective audit was carried out to identify the accidental dural puncture and post-dural puncture headache rates at the Coombe Women and Infant University Hospital in Dublin.

Solitary fibrous tumour of the parotid gland: a case report and a 15-year literature review.

Solitary fibrous tumour (SFT) is uncommonly found in the salivary glands and is a rare group of spindle-cell tumours. A review of literature revealed only 40 reported cases of SFT of major salivary glands over a 15-year period from 2004 to 2018. SFTs of the salivary glands are usually benign, although rarely, can be aggressive and may sometimes recur after initial resection.

Maternal near miss: what lies beneath?

Objective: Capturing 'near miss' and severe maternal morbidity using standard definitions is challenging. Information about levels of care required by ill pregnant or recently pregnant women may be more informative. The aim of this study was to prospectively audit incidence, causes, categorisation of maternal morbidity and level of care required by patients admitted to a labour ward high dependency unit (HDU) in a stand-alone obstetric hospital.

A randomised trial of the analgesic efficacy of ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block after caesarean delivery under general anaesthesia.

Context: Previous studies examining the efficacy of transversus abdominis plane block after caesarean section have mostly been in parturients under spinal anaesthesia.

Objectives: We postulated that the advantage of performing transversus abdominis plane block after caesarean section might be even more obvious after general anaesthesia, resulting in reduced 24-h consumption of morphine. DESIGN, SETTING, PATIENTS AND INTERVENTIONS: In this single centre, randomised double-blind controlled trial, 40 women who underwent caesarean delivery under general anaesthesia were allocated randomly to receive a transversus abdominis plane block or no block.

Anesthesia considerations in the obese gravida.

Obesity is associated with serious morbidity during pregnancy, and obese women also are at a high risk of developing complications during labor, leading to an increased risk for instrumental and Cesarean deliveries. The engagement of the obstetrical anesthetist in the management of this group of high-risk patients should be performed antenatally so that an appropriate management strategy can be planned in advance to prevent an adverse outcome. Good communication between all care providers is essential.

The ongoing challenges of regional and general anaesthesia in obstetrics.

The increasing trend of caesarean section in the setting of increasing maternal age, obesity and other concomitant diseases will continue to challenge the obstetric anaesthetist in his/her task of providing regional and general anaesthesia. The challenges of providing anaesthesia for an emergency caesarean section, particularly the risks of general anaesthesia, will be debated. The need for involvement of a multidisciplinary team, good communication and challenges surrounding the provision of anaesthesia to such patients are discussed.

Day-surgery patients anesthetized with propofol have less postoperative pain than those anesthetized with sevoflurane.

Background: There have been recent studies suggesting that patients anesthetized with propofol have less postoperative pain compared with patients anesthetized with volatile anesthetics.

Methods: In this randomized, double-blind study, 80 patients undergoing day-case diagnostic laparoscopic gynecological surgery were either anesthetized with IV propofol or sevoflurane. The primary outcome measured was pain on a visual analog scale.