Anaesthesia and perioperative resources for health professionals

Pre-anaesthetic evaluation framework

Use the pre-anaesthetic evaluation framework to triage and assess patients presenting to hospital for a procedure that requires anaesthetic.

Pre-anaesthetic framework implementation

• Pre-anaesthetic evaluation framework implementation guideline (PDF 222 kB)
• Appendix 1: project plan (DOC 352 kB)
• Appendix 2: update report (DOC 284 kB)
• Appendix 3: sustain report (DOC 280 kB)
• Appendix 4: stakeholder assessment (XLS 50 kB)
• Appendix 5: stakeholder influence matrix (DOC 292 kB)
• Appendix 6: communication plan (XLSX 25 kB)
• Appendix 7: risks and issues (XLSX 25 kB)
• Appendix 8: project schedule (XLS 50 kB)
• Appendix 9: data collection (XLS 52 kB)
• Appendix 10: KPI overview (XLS 52 kB)
• Appendix 11: patient survey (DOC 289 kB)

Investigations and triage

• Preoperative investigations guideline (PDF 245 kB)
• Triage guidelines for pre-anaesthetic evaluation (PDF 238 kB)
• Triage process flow chart (PDF 195 kB)

Use the Adult integrated pre-procedural screening tool (PDF 258 kB) to assess patients before they are admitted to hospital for a procedure.

Percutaneous central venous access device (CVAD)

Use the percutaneous central venous access device (CVAD) insertion checklist when inserting a CVAD. The checklist focuses on the technical aspects of inserting a CVAD and has been developed to complement other CVAD management guidelines.

• CVAD insertion checklist (paper version) (PDF 575 kB)
• CVAD insertion checklist context document (PDF 212 kB)

Difficult airway alert

Use the difficult airway alert form to let other clinicians know that a patient has a difficult airway.

• Difficult airway alert form (PDF 422 kB)
• Difficult airway alert form guidance (PDF 222 kB)

Completed forms should be shared with the patient and their GP and uploaded to The Viewer.

• The Viewer difficult airway upload guide (PDF 1082 kB)

Forms can be completed online or in hard copy. Keep hard copies of the form with your resuscitation trolley.

Stop before you block

Stop before you block is a process for double checking all details before you administer a local anaesthetic. It reduces the risk of:

• complications from an unnecessary block, like nerve damage or local anaesthetic toxicity
• delayed discharge due to reduced mobility or dexterity
• performing surgery on the wrong side of the patient.

Follow the stop before you block process for every local anaesthetic injection. The stop before you block video explains the process.

Use the:

• stop before you block communique (PDF 202 kB) to guide you on best practice
• stop before you block checklist (PDF 723 kB) to record the details each time you administer local anaesthetic
• stop before you block posters (PDF 74 kB) to remind staff of the process
• stop before you block audit tool (PDF 253 kB) to check compliance in your health facility.

Queensland Health staff can read more about stop before you block on the QH intranet.

Environmental accountability

Use the checklist – perioperative environmental sustainability activities (PDF 194 kB) to help consider the environmental impact of your anaesthetic practice.

You can also use the following guidelines to help understand the environmental impact of specific products, equipment and processes you are using. The guidelines contain relevant research and recommendations for things to consider.

• Breathing circuits (PDF 834 kB)
• Desflurane (PDF 326 kB)
• Medication and procedural trays (PDF 206 kB)
• Nitrous oxide (PDF 259 kB)
• Operating theatre attire (PDF 245 kB)
• Pharmaceutical waste (PDF 304 kB)
• Sequential compression device stockings (PDF 257 kB)
• Sevoflurane (PDF 261 kB)
• Total intravenous anaesthesia (TIVA) (PDF 268 kB)

Contact

If you have questions about any of these resources, contact the SWAPNet coordinator on SWAPNET@health.qld.gov.au.