Anaesthesia and intensive care
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Rapid tracheal intubation, using the standard Macintosh laryngoscope, can be hindered in obstetrical patients by the handle of the laryngoscope hitting the patient's engorged breasts and the hand of the assistant applying cricoid pressure. To overcome these difficulties a variation of the laryngoscope is described. The right angle of the blade to the handle is opened by a further 20 degrees.
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A new laryngoscope incorporation a mechanism operated from the handle which facilitates endotracheal intubation in situations where an introducing stylet would normally be required.
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During an anaesthetic procedure the anaesthetist's main concern is for the patient and his vigilance ensures that the patient is given the best care possible. When a trainee anaesthetist is administering an anaesthetic a tutor is often present to further improve the trainee's practical knowledge or technique. This report presents the results of an investigation of the typical patterns of trainee anaesthetist's behaviour when a tutor is either present or absent in order to establish whether the teaching which occurs in the operating theatre affects the pattern of activity and vigilance. Results indicate that the patterns of behaviour are unaffected by a tutor's presence, and that teaching anaesthetics in the operating theatre may be a legitimate activity which does not interfere with the trainee's prime function of patient care.