πŸ’‰ Anaesthesiology Library

Crisp, exam-oriented anaesthesia topics β€” based on Miller, Barash, Morgan & Mikhail and Stoelting's Co-Existing Disease, with the latest ASA, DAS, ACC/AHA and AAGBI/ISA guidelines. Written for DrNB Β· MD Β· DA Β· EDAIC.

25
Published
12
Sections
4
Standard texts

πŸ“– The library is organised into Foundations Β· Pharmacology Β· Airway Β· Regional & Neuraxial Β· system-wise (Cardiac, Neuro, Gastrointestinal) Β· Equipment Β· Perioperative. Each published topic follows the same layout as the critical-care library: standard-textbook summaries (Miller, Barash, Morgan & Mikhail, Stoelting) β†’ assessment/physiology flowcharts β†’ latest guidelines β†’ drug & dose tables β†’ clinical algorithms β†’ common mistakes β†’ exam pearls β†’ references. Sections marked Coming Soon are being written now. British spelling throughout.

Foundations
🩺
Pre-Anaesthetic Check-up (PAC)
ASA physical status, focused history & the full bedside airway battery, functional capacity (METs/DASI/NYHA), targeted investigations (NICE NG45), ASA 2023 fasting incl. GLP-1, RCRI & ACC/AHA 2024 cardiac risk, aspiration prophylaxis and perioperative medication management.
ASA-PS ✦Airway testsFasting 2023
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😴
General Anaesthesia β€” Principles & Conduct
The triad, induction & maintenance agents, MAC, the anaesthetic machine & breathing systems, stages of anaesthesia, emergence, and the common intra-operative problems.
Triad · MAC ✦InductionEmergence
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Pharmacology
πŸ’‰
Intravenous Induction Agents β€” Overview
The ideal agent, choose-by-scenario tables and the four drugs compared. Gateway to the individual drug pages below.
Overview ✦CompareChoose by shock
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πŸ₯›
Propofol
2,6-di-isopropylphenol β€” emulsion, extrahepatic clearance, GABA-A effects, doses, drug interactions and propofol infusion syndrome (PRIS).
PRIS ✦TIVAAntiemetic
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🟑
Thiopentone & Barbiturates
Thiobarbiturate chemistry, alkaline prep & incompatibilities, cerebral protection (CPP preserved), porphyria and intra-arterial injection.
Porphyria ✦RedistributionECT
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πŸ”΄
Ketamine
NMDA antagonist & dissociative anaesthesia, norketamine, sympathomimetic cardiovascular profile, doses/routes, emergence reactions.
Dissociative ✦Shock/asthmaAnalgesia
Read article β†’
πŸ”΅
Etomidate
The cardiostable induction agent β€” ester-hydrolysis PK, cerebral stability, 11Ξ²-hydroxylase adrenal suppression, myoclonus and novel derivatives.
Cardiostable ✦AdrenalMyoclonus
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πŸ’€
Dexmedetomidine
Highly selective Ξ±β‚‚ agonist (1600:1) β€” receptor subtypes & mechanism, cooperative sedation mimicking natural sleep with minimal respiratory depression, analgesia/MAC-sparing, the biphasic CVS response, doses & uses.
Ξ±β‚‚ 1600:1 ✦No resp depressionAwake FOI
Read article β†’
Coming soon
🌬️
Inhalational Agents & MAC
Sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane & nitrous oxide β€” MAC, uptake & distribution, second-gas effect and organ effects.
🧬
Neuromuscular Blockers & Reversal
Depolarising vs non-depolarising agents, suxamethonium & its complications, TOF monitoring, neostigmine & sugammadex.
Sugammadex ✦TOF ratio β‰₯0.9Hofmann
Read article β†’
Coming soon
⚑
Local Anaesthetics
Mechanism, pharmacokinetics, maximum safe doses, differential block and LAST recognition & lipid rescue.
Coming soon
πŸ’Š
Opioids & Perioperative Analgesia
Morphine, fentanyl, remifentanil & the multimodal ladder; equianalgesia and opioid-sparing strategies.
Coming soon
πŸ“ˆ
Vasopressors & Inotropes
Phenylephrine, ephedrine, noradrenaline, adrenaline & vasopressin β€” receptors, indications and intra-operative use.
Airway
🫁
Airway Management
Now a tabbed topic β€” Anatomy (larynx innervation, bronchial tree, paeds vs adult), Assessment, Scores (Mallampati old & modified, Cormack–Lehane), Devices & Definitions, Trauma & Pathology, RSI & Sellick's manoeuvre, Ultrasound and exam pearls.
Tabbed ✦RSIAnatomy · Scores · USG
Open topic β†’
Regional & Neuraxial Anaesthesia
πŸ’‰
Regional & Neuraxial Anaesthesia
Spinal, epidural & CSE, local-anaesthetic pharmacology, LAST recognition & lipid rescue, neuraxial anticoagulation timing, and common complications (PDPH, high block, hypotension).
LAST ✦NeuraxialPDPH
Read article β†’
Coming soon
🎯
Peripheral Nerve Blocks & USG Regional
Brachial plexus, truncal & lower-limb blocks; ultrasound-guided technique, adjuvants and safe practice.
Systemic β€” Cardiac
Coming soon
❀️
Anaesthesia for Ischaemic Heart Disease
Myocardial oxygen supply-demand balance, stents & antiplatelets, haemodynamic goals and the high-risk cardiac patient for non-cardiac surgery.
Coming soon
πŸ«€
Valvular Heart Disease
Stenotic vs regurgitant lesions, the haemodynamic goals for each valve, and anaesthetic implications.
πŸ«€
Mitral Stenosis in Pregnancy for LSCS
Tabbed topic β€” the obstetric-cardiac case: pathophysiology & how pregnancy aggravates MS, severity grading, the haemodynamic goals, graded epidural vs GA, and dilute-oxytocin delivery care.
Tabbed topic ✦Graded epiduralDilute oxytocin
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Coming soon
πŸ”§
Cardiac Surgery & Cardiopulmonary Bypass
CPB circuit & physiology, anticoagulation, cardioplegia, weaning from bypass and post-op care.
Systemic β€” Neuro
Coming soon
🧠
Neuroanaesthesia & ICP Control
Cerebral physiology (CBF, CPP, autoregulation), ICP management, positioning and anaesthesia for craniotomy.
Coming soon
πŸ€•
Traumatic Brain Injury
The injured brain, CPP-targeted management, avoiding secondary insult and transfer/theatre considerations.
Coming soon
🦴
Spine Surgery & Positioning
Prone-position physiology, blood conservation, neuromonitoring and the wake-up test.
Systemic β€” Gastrointestinal
🀍
Chronic Liver Disease (Cirrhosis)
Tabbed topic β€” liver physiology & HABR, portal hypertension, ascites/varices, HRS Β· HPS Β· POPH, cirrhotic cardiomyopathy, rebalanced coagulopathy, CTP/MELD, altered pharmacology and pre-/intra-/post-op management.
Tabbed topic ✦CTP / MELDHRS · HPS · POPH
Read article β†’
Coming soon
πŸš‘
Full Stomach & Bowel Obstruction
Aspiration risk, rapid sequence induction, NG decompression and fluid resuscitation of the acute abdomen.
Coming soon
βš–οΈ
Bariatric & Laparoscopic Anaesthesia
Obesity physiology & airway, pneumoperitoneum effects, positioning and post-op respiratory care.
Equipment
πŸ“Ÿ
Monitoring in Anaesthesia
AAGBI minimum standards, capnography (the golden signal), pulse oximetry, NIBP/IBP, temperature, neuromuscular & depth-of-anaesthesia monitoring β€” and how to read them when things go wrong.
Capnography ✦AAGBITOF · BIS
Read article β†’
Coming soon
πŸ› οΈ
The Anaesthesia Machine
Gas supply, flowmeters, safety features, the low-pressure system and the pre-use machine check.
Coming soon
πŸ”„
Breathing Systems & Circuits
Mapleson classification, the circle system, COβ‚‚ absorbers and fresh-gas-flow economics.
Coming soon
πŸ’¨
Vaporisers
Variable-bypass design, temperature & pressure compensation, the desflurane vaporiser and filling safety.
Perioperative
🩸
Perioperative Fluids & Transfusion
Crystalloids vs colloids, balanced solutions, goal-directed therapy, blood component therapy, transfusion triggers, massive transfusion & patient blood management.
Balanced fluids ✦GDTMassive transfusion
Read article β†’
πŸ‘Ά
Cleft Lip & Palate Repair
Tabbed topic β€” paediatric shared & difficult airway: Veau classification, associated syndromes & CHD, Rule of 10, COPUR score, RAE south-pole tube, Dingman gag & throat pack, adrenaline limits, extubation and nerve-block analgesia.
Tabbed topic ✦RAE tubeRule of 10
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πŸ‘‚
Tonsillectomy & Adenotonsillectomy
Tabbed topic β€” the paediatric shared airway: OSA & Brodsky grading, Rose position & throat pack, extubation & complications, and the post-tonsillectomy bleed emergency (full-stomach RSI, coroner's clot).
Tabbed topic ✦OSAPost-tonsillectomy bleed
Read article β†’
🫁
Pneumonectomy & Lung Resection
Tabbed topic β€” thoracic anaesthesia: the three-legged stool & ppoFEV₁, lung isolation (DLT), one-lung ventilation, thoracic epidural analgesia and post-thoracotomy complications.
Tabbed topic ✦One-lung ventilationppoFEV₁
Read article β†’
πŸ’₯
Anaesthesia for the Burns Patient
Tabbed topic β€” burn depth & TBSA (rule of 9s / Lund–Browder), Jackson's zones & the ebb–flow response, ABCDE resuscitation & Parkland fluids, inhalation/CO injury, the contracture difficult airway, suxamethonium hyperkalaemia & NDMR resistance, and intra-op care for excision/grafting.
Tabbed topic ✦ParklandSux β‰₯24 h C/I
Read article β†’
πŸ€–
Anaesthesia for Robotic Surgery
Tabbed topic β€” robot-assisted radical prostatectomy: the physiology of steep Trendelenburg + COβ‚‚ pneumoperitoneum, patient selection, the docked-robot challenges (immobility, restricted access, positioning), POVL & complications, and restrictive fluids.
Tabbed topic ✦Steep TrendelenburgPOVL
Read article β†’
Systemic β€” Respiratory
🫁
Anaesthesia for COPD
Tabbed topic β€” GOLD definition & the emphysema/chronic-bronchitis/small-airway spectrum, severity & pack-years, PFTs & bedside tests, smoking cessation & optimisation, RA vs GA & drug choices, intra-op ventilation & auto-PEEP, bronchospasm and PPCs.
Tabbed topic ✦Auto-PEEPPermissive hypercapnia
Read article β†’
Systemic β€” Renal
🩸
Anaesthesia for AV Fistula
Tabbed topic β€” vascular access in ESRD: hyperkalaemia & dialysis timing, altered drug handling, the brachial plexus block of choice (sympathectomy improves flow), protecting the fistula arm, and complications (steal, thrombosis).
Tabbed topic ✦Brachial plexus blockProtect the arm
Read article β†’
Systemic β€” Paediatric
πŸ‘Ά
Anaesthesia for Gastroschisis
Tabbed topic β€” the neonatal abdominal-wall-defect emergency: gastroschisis vs omphalocele, pre-op resuscitation & decompression, RSI (avoid Nβ‚‚O), third-space fluids, primary vs staged silo closure, and abdominal compartment syndrome.
Tabbed topic ✦Avoid Nβ‚‚OStaged silo
Read article β†’
Remote-Location Anaesthesia
🧲
Anaesthesia for MRI
Tabbed topic β€” non-operating-room anaesthesia in the MRI suite: the always-on magnetic field & the four safety zones, the hazards (projectile effect, RF burns, quench, gadolinium), patient selection & technique, MR-conditional monitoring, and the golden rule of resuscitation.
Tabbed topic ✦Projectile effectEvacuate to resuscitate
Read article β†’