Devloping Anaesthesia Textbook Version 1.6

Abstract

Modern anaesthesia is safe. In countries that have extensive anaesthetic resources, the risk of dying is one in 100,000 to 500,000. The risk of death has decreased to one-tenth of what it was thirty years ago. Safety has improved with better knowledge of pharmacology and physiology, and advances in drugs, investigations, monitoring and education. The complexity and expense of providing anaesthesia has escalated. When resources (personnel, equipment, drugs and funding) are limited, an anaesthetist with good clinical skills and a thorough knowledge of physiology, pharmacology, equipment and how disease will affect the patient, can provide safe and effective anaesthesia.