Anaesthesia and Intensive Care

The anaesthetist has seen his role steadily expand and it is hard to think of one medical specialty in which anaesthetists are not involved at least to some extent. We present a range of papers which demonstrates the breadth of anaesthesia: from its traditional realm in the operating theatre to critical care and resuscitation onto chronic pain and obstetric analgesia. Airway Management Undoubtedly, one of the key skills of the anaesthetist is the ability to secure an airway. The golden standard is still the endotracheal tube, but this requires skill at intubation. For this reason, other means of obtaining an airway without resorting to intubation have been marketed. These include the Guedel airway, the Airway Management DeviceTM , the Laryngeal TubeTM , the Combitube TM and the Laryngeal Mask Airway (LMA). These devices can all be inserted blindly and are suitable for use by medical and paramedical staff not skilled at intubation.