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Anaesthetics guides
17 plain-English, evidence-linked guides in Anaesthetics, with clinical review status shown on each page.
Anaesthesia and sedation for endoscopy or colonoscopy (Sedation and comfort options for gastrointestinal endoscopy)The pain-relief and comfort choices — from throat spray or gas to sedation — used to make a camera test of the gut, such as a gastroscopy or colonoscopy, more comfortable.Anaesthesia for dental and children's procedures (Anaesthesia and sedation for dental treatment and paediatric procedures)The anaesthetic and sedation choices used to safely and comfortably carry out dental treatment or procedures in children and, sometimes, anxious adults.Day-case anaesthesiaAnaesthesia planned so you can have your operation and go home the same day, using techniques and medicines chosen to help you recover quickly and safely.Enhanced recovery after surgery (Enhanced recovery after surgery support)An evidence-based way of preparing for and recovering from surgery — with the anaesthetic team's input — that helps you get back to health and home as quickly and safely as possible.Epidural anaesthetic (Epidural anaesthesia)A fine tube placed in your back by an anaesthetist through which numbing and pain-relief medicines can be given and topped up, to numb part of your body during and after an operation.Epidural and anaesthesia in labour and birth (Obstetric anaesthesia and analgesia (epidural, spinal and combined spinal-epidural))An explanation of the anaesthetic and strong pain-relief options for labour and birth, including the epidural, given by an anaesthetist and always the woman's choice.General anaesthetic for surgery (General anaesthesia)Medicines, given and managed by an anaesthetist, that put you into a controlled, monitored state of unconsciousness so you feel nothing during an operation.High-risk surgery review (Anaesthetic high-risk / fitness-for-surgery review)An anaesthetist-led assessment that works out how well your body is likely to cope with a planned operation, so you and your team can make a careful, shared decision about whether and how to go ahead.Local anaesthetic injection (Local anaesthetic infiltration)An injection of numbing medicine into a small area so you stay awake but feel no pain during a minor procedure, or for pain relief afterwards.Nerve block for surgery (Peripheral nerve block for surgery)An injection of local anaesthetic around the nerves supplying part of the body — such as an arm or leg — to numb it for an operation and to give pain relief afterwards.Pain relief after surgery (Post-operative pain management (multimodal analgesia))How pain is controlled after an operation, usually by combining several types of pain relief so you can recover comfortably while keeping strong opioids time-limited.Patient-controlled analgesia (PCA)A pump that lets you give yourself small, safely limited doses of strong pain relief after surgery by pressing a button — and only you should press it.Pre-operative assessment clinic (Pre-operative (pre-anaesthetic) assessment)An appointment before planned surgery to check your health, plan the safest anaesthetic and make sure you are as well prepared as possible for your operation.Preventing sickness after surgery (Postoperative nausea and vomiting (PONV) prevention)The anaesthetic team's plan to reduce the chance of feeling sick or being sick after surgery, using a layered combination of measures tailored to your personal risk.Regional (nerve block) anaesthetic (Regional anaesthesia (peripheral nerve block))An injection of local anaesthetic near specific nerves, given by an anaesthetist, that numbs just the part of the body being operated on, such as an arm or a leg, often with strong pain relief afterwards.Sedation for procedures (Procedural sedation (conscious/intravenous sedation))Medicine given to help you feel relaxed and drowsy during a test or minor procedure, given and monitored by a trained sedationist or anaesthetist.Spinal anaesthetic (Spinal anaesthesia (subarachnoid block))A single injection of local anaesthetic into the fluid around the spinal nerves in your lower back, given by an anaesthetist, that numbs the lower half of your body for an operation while you stay awake.
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