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The following SAQs have been collected from a variety of sources.
10 minutes is allowed for each question.
A generalised thank you to all the sources from which these questions came from

Explain your peri-operative workup/assessment of the patient with angina.

Why and when do you use ECG monitoring?

Classify ventilators.

Scenario: 50 yr old female scheduled for elective hysterectomy is found to have a Hb of 90. Give an account of how anaemia should be assessed pre-operatively.

Outline how you would approach her anaesthetic management.

How would you manage post-operative pain in this patient?

What is a RAE tube? Outline its uses.

Outline your definition of Brain Death.

Give an account of your management of a Gaseous Induction for general anaesthesia.

Scenario: 32 yrs old primigravida with a breech presentation was scheduled for elective LUSCS. She requests a general anaesthetic. What information do you provide her with pre-operatively on the choice of anaesthesia?

She is admitted to hospital in spontaneous labour at 38 weeks gestation. She is considering a regional technique. How do you provide anaesthesia for LUSCS?

What is your management of post-operative nausea and vomiting in this patient if she has a GA?

Discuss the consequences and features of hypothermia (accidental or unintended).

When is it appropriate to use deliberate hypothermia?

Describe the adverse effects of laryngoscopy

Scenario: 160kg primipara for elective caesarean section. Give an account of how you approach the morbidly obese patient (in general).

Outline your feelings on a combined spinal-epidural approach to this patient's anaesthetic.

How do you manage a 2 litre blood loss in this patient.


Outline your management of a two year old for MRI scanning.

Discuss the anatomy relevant to performing an ankle block.

Discuss aetiology, diagnosis, and treatment of the TURP Syndrome.

List your criteria for discharge from a day surgery unit.

Discuss the indications and complications of the Swann-Ganz catheter.

Outline your anaesthetic management of a lady with Grade IV placenta praevia and a history of previous LUSCS.

Scenario: 75 year old male, A-P resection for rectal carcinoma. Past history of iron deficiency anaemia, and stable angina. Pre-op Hb 11.5, ECG uniform PVCs. Discuss the implications of blood transfusion in this patient.

Discuss features that might lead you to electively ventilate this patient post-op.

Justify your decision to proceed with invasive monitoring.

Compare and contrast the advantages of intra-arterial blood gas analysis with pulse oximetry.

Implications of posterior fossa craniotomy in the sitting position. Particular attention to monitoring and risks.

What is informed consent? How do you approach post-op pain relief in a 4 year old for circumcision? The mother is worried about 'nerve damage' when you mention a caudal. What do you tell her?

Arthroscopy in Hep C positive patient with past history of drug abuse. What infection control measures are available?

Describe sequential analysis. Suggest situations in which it might be useful.

Outline the principles involved in commissioning the installation of an oxygen supply pipeline.

Scenario: You are called to A&E to assist in resuscitation of a road trauma victim. GCS 7, BP 240/80, HR 60. The A&E Registrar says he can find nothing except a haematoma over the left temple. Discuss briefly the physiology of cerebral perfusion in this patient, and your approach to minimise secondary neuronal damage while you accompany this patient in the CT scan.

List the problems associated with Down's Syndrome

Compare and contrast isoflurane and desflurane

List your criteria for 'home readiness' in day case anaesthesia, and list contraindications to day surgery.

Draw and label a typical unidirectional expiratory valve from a circle system.

Compare and contrast the advantages of using an electrical hot water bath humidifier with a heat and moisture exchanger.

Describe your management of a massive transfusion.

List the indications for use of an intra-arterial line.

Discuss methods of blood conservation.

Write a submission to your local health authority for funding of an acute pain service.

Scenario: 30 year old male for resection of pancreatic pseudocyst. PMHx include alcoholism and heavy smoker. Medications include regular panadeine forte, diazepam and IM pethidine from the LMO.

Outline your post operative pain problem and your management of his acute pain.

Describe how you would perform a retrocrural coeliac plexus block and list the potential complications

Scenario: 65 year old male for elective AAA repair. PMHx include 20 year Hx of smoking, previous AMI and stable angina with medications. He has dyspnoea with one flight of stairs and a measured FEV1 of 800 mls.

Evaluate his analgesic options post operatively.

Would you perform any further cardiovascular investigation as his workup for his operation? Justify your answer.

Outline your approach to inform consent for post operative analgesia.

An 18 month old infant is booked for bilateral ureteric re-implantation. Discuss the analgesia options available.

Scenario: 29 year old male with spinal injury after MBA. Initial pain post op after ORIF of his # lumbar spine was controlled with PCA. The APS noted that his morphine consumption has steadily begin to rise from Day 3 onwards with overall poor control.

Describe your further management of his pain problem.

Describe the features of a Tuohey needle and the relative and absolute contra-indication for epidural anaesthesia.

Describe your pre-operative assessment of a young and fit patient with frontal meningioma (3x4 cm) for craniotomy and resection.

Illustrate and describe the anatomy of the Right Brachial Plexus. Describe your technique of the axillary approach to brachial plexus blockade.

Describe the features of a double lumen tube.

What are the contra-indications and indications for insertion of double lumen tube.

Describe the method available to decrease the incidence of thromboembolism and their potential anaesthetic implications.

Write notes on Myasthenia Gravis and Anaesthesia.

Describe the test that is available for pre-operative airway assessment. What are their general sensitivities and specificities and why?

What information can your derive from an invasive arterial waveform trace?

List the risk factors, signs and symptoms and treatment of the TURP syndrome.

Describe the nerve supply of the foot and how your would perform a foot block.

Describe the (patho)physiological changes in morbid obesity.

Classify lasers and special precaution that is needed for laser use in OR. Describe your management of laser fire in the airway.

A patient is blinded in one eye after anaesthesia. What are the potential causes and describe your approach to this case.

Describe your patient admission and discharge criteria to a "free standing" DSU.

What anaesthetic considerations are there with the setting up of a 1.5T MRI unit near your tertiary referral center?

Describe analgesic option available to a Primigravida in early labour.

What are the special anaesthetic concerns with anaesthesia and microvascular surgery and the methods available to minimise the problem.

List the conditions that have to be satisfied for brain death and the test use to assess "brain death". Under what circumstances would these test be inappropriate.

What is the college policy regarding Level 1 and 2 checks of your new integrated anaesthetic machine.

Describe your investigative workup of a 65 year old male for a left pneumonectomy. What criteria have to be satisfied before operation can proceed.

Describe the features and markings on a standard portex # 7 cuffed endotracheal tube.

Describe your approach AND management of a middle age male who failed to regain consciousness after a bilateral hernia repair under GA using non-depolarising muscle relaxants.

Describe the pathophysiological changes associated with pre-eclampsia and their anaesthetic implications.

What methods are available to minimise the use of blood products?

Describe the anatomical relationship of the first rib with special relevance to anaesthesia.

Discuss the relevant anatomy for regional blockade for excision of skin lesion at the corner of the mouth with mucosal extension.

Describe the safety features of the low pressure circuit in a modern day Boyle's anaesthetic machine.

What are the anaesthetic issues in pre-operative assessment and preparation for the reduction of intersussception in a 6 month old male child.

Draw a four bottle chest drain system and discuss its advantages and disadvantages.

Discuss the role of Nitrous oxide in your anaesthetic practise.

With regards to a three year old Down syndrome child for T & A's; Describe the features of Down syndrome with special anaesthetic relevance.

What are your position with regards to parental presence during induction of anaesthesia. Briefly discuss the advantages and disadvantages of parental presence.

Compare and contrast Halothane and Sevoflurane for inhalational induction for potential difficult airway in paediatric setting.

What are your criteria for accepting or postponing a child with URTI for elective operation? And your justification for doing so.

Discuss the maneuvers available in the management  of venous air embolism in neurosurgery.

Describe the ideal anaesthetic ventilator.

Discuss the pharmacology and anaesthetic relevance of methyl methacrylate.

Discuss your management of a young female patient with acute appendicitis and pancytopenia related to a acute myeloid leukaemia.

Discuss the risk and benefits of peri-operative beta blockade.

How would you go about organising and performing a "systematic review".

Discuss the anaesthetic implication of a middle age male with sickle cell anaemia for compound scrub and ORIF of # right radius and ulna.

What are the potential benefits of stopping smoking prior to an elective operation? What is the college policy on cessation of smoking prior to elective procedures?

Scenario: You are asked to give a GA for an elective CS (Praevia Type 3)_for a lady whose mother last week just survive a critical event of which MH was the most likely diagnosis. Discuss the anaesthetic issues relevant to this case.