Open drop ether (part two). No. 2.

The next section; The lack of premedication . A male patient s airways fill with saliva and then it is discovered that the patient has false teeth. Anaesthesia gets lighter and the patient vomits, he has to be turned on his side (this is a very serious complication). He has atrophine injected. A fourth complication is laryngeal spasm in the second stage; checking the patient s pulse, if it becomes too faint, the patient may require mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. The fifth complication is respiratory arrest due to overdose. The female patient is deeply anaesthetised; her pulse is steady. Observations have to be maintained in case she becomes syonised then artifical respiration is performed. The sixth complication is a laryngeal spasm due to surgical stimuli. Surgery has to pause as the patient stirs. The seventh complication is excessive use of the corneal reflex. This can cause ulceration or conjunctivitis. Eye drops can be applied as long as there is no ether present (the drops would absorb it and cause irritation). Recapitulation section of all these pitfalls; experience is key as well as maintaining a level of anaesthesia, clear airways and remembering that ether is explosive when combined with oxygen. The next section is Ether anaesthesia in emergency . Any GP has all the apparatus needed in his bag; this is briefly illustrated. A patient being attended to at home is seen, as well as a mocked up traffic accident. The use in wartime is suggested as a medic attends a patient in a tent. The End RFU 00:10:52