Anaesthesia and intensive care
-
Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2008
Historical ArticleFrom collection to museum: the development of the Geoffrey Kaye Museum of Anaesthetic History.
Located at the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) headquarters in Melbourne, Victoria, this internationally significant collection was founded in 1935 by renowned Australian anaesthetist Dr Geoffrey Kaye (1903 to 1986). Although it has always been referred to as a museum, it lacked the necessary management structure and infrastructure to meet museum standards. ⋯ This paper outlines the management issues and innovative strategies involved in developing this important collection into a professionally managed museum based on best practice standards. It illustrates the benefits of introducing a clear vision and an agreed longterm management plan based on Museums Australia (Victoria) Museum Accreditation Program guidelines.
-
The history of the development of humidifiers as a necessary accompaniment to mechanical ventilation is a fascinating one. In New Zealand in the 1960s, Fisher and Paykel, an established importer of a variety of household appliances, launched into the design and manufacture of humidifiers following the requirements envisaged at that time, for optimal use in the intensive care setting. This was a completely new venture for the company and led to the establishment of a separate Fisher and Paykel Health Care company for medical equipment manufacture, which has continued successfully to the present day.
-
Education and expertise in airway skills are central components of anaesthesia training, yet there is no formal monitoring of the airway experience or level of competence that registrars actually obtain. An audit was performed in two phases to prospectively document the airway management experience of registrars in one teaching hospital department. ⋯ The overall registrar group performed a mean of 18 laryngeal mask airways and 19 endotracheal intubations in the study month. Our findings indicate that the airway experience of anaesthesia trainees may be inadequate and therefore warrants further investigation.
-
Anaesth Intensive Care · Jul 2008
Review Historical ArticleThe origins of the sniffing position and the Three Axes Alignment Theory for direct laryngoscopy.
The Three Axes Alignment Theory and the sniffing position for direct laryngoscopy are the anatomical basis for direct laryngoscopy. This position has been one of the hallmarks of airway management and yet its development is based on a small number of descriptive texts published between 1852 and 1944. This paper explores the origins of direct laryngoscopy and how the sniffing position came to be described. The seemingly incongruent techniques of the rigid bronchoscopist and direct laryngoscopist are discussed from an historical perspective.