Anaesthesia
-
A case of cardiac arrest during moderate hypothermia and profound hypotension following rupture of a cerebral aneurysm is described. The patient survived with few neurological sequelae directly attributable to the period of cerebral ischaemia. The protective effect of hypothermia in the prevention of neurological damage is illustrated as are the difficulties of resuscitation.
-
A retrospective examination of all maternal deaths at Queen Charlotte's Hospital in the last 20 years shows that general anaesthesia is the greatest single cause of maternal death. This highlights the need for considerable reduction in the inherently dangerous technique of general anaesthesia to patients in labour and, where possible, its replacement by extradural and spinal blocks.