A 78-yr-old woman presented for a panendoscopy to investigate dysphonia and dysphagia. Intubation was anticipated to be difficult but possible, and mask ventilation was anticipated to be possible. After induction of anaesthesia and after three attempts at intubation, a 'can't intubate, can ventilate' situation deteriorated to a 'can't intubate, can't ventilate' (CICV) situation. Rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block was successfully reversed with sugammadex, as evidenced by the restoration of diaphragmatic movement, the ability of the patient to move her limbs, and the presence of a train-of-four nerve stimulation with no fade; however, ventilation was still not possible. A cricothyroid puncture using a Ravussin needle was performed successfully to provide emergency oxygenation. A tracheostomy was performed to allow the panendoscopy. CICV situations are rare anaesthetic emergencies. While sugammadex can be relied upon to reverse rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block, it should not be relied upon to rescue all CICV events, especially where airway instrumentation has led to airway swelling. The availability of sugammadex does not obviate the need for emergency tracheal access in the event of failed oxygenation. The presence of head and neck pathology should lead to the consideration of securing the airway awake.

Volatile anesthetics reduce ciliary beat frequency in vitro. It has been reported that impaired bronchial mucus transport velocity (BTV) is associated with significantly increased pulmonary complications. In this study, we sought to determine in vivo differences in BTV, comparing patients having total IV anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil to anesthesia with sevoflurane and remifentanil. Twenty-two patients scheduled for elective general surgery were randomized to one of two groups: TIVA (propofol/remifentanil) or SEVO (sevoflurane/remifentanil). Thirty minutes after tracheal intubation, BTV was assessed by fiberoptic observation of the movement of methylene blue dye applied to the dorsal surface of the right main bronchus. BTV was significantly reduced in the SEVO group compared with the TIVA group (mean, 1.5 +/- 0.7 [0-2.3] versus 4.8 +/- 2.1 [2.3-8.8] mm/min; P < 0.0001). Anesthesia with sevoflurane may lead to significantly impaired bronchociliary clearance in comparison to TIVA. This could have implications for perioperative pulmonary complications, in particular in patients at risk for pulmonary complications.

Cardiac arrest in the peri-operative period is rare but associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Current reporting systems do not capture many such events, so there is an incomplete understanding of incidence and outcomes. As peri-operative cardiac arrest is rare, many hospitals may only see a small number of cases over long periods, and anaesthetists may not be involved in such cases for years. Therefore, a large-scale prospective cohort is needed to gain a deep understanding of events leading up to cardiac arrest, management of the arrest itself and patient outcomes. Consequently, the Royal College of Anaesthetists chose peri-operative cardiac arrest as the 7th National Audit Project topic. The study was open to all UK hospitals offering anaesthetic services and had a three-part design. First, baseline surveys of all anaesthetic departments and anaesthetists in the UK, examining respondents' prior peri-operative cardiac arrest experience, resuscitation training and local departmental preparedness. Second, an activity survey to record anonymised details of all anaesthetic activity in each site over 4 days, enabling national estimates of annual anaesthetic activity, complexity and complication rates. Third, a case registry of all instances of peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK, reported confidentially and anonymously, over 1 year starting 16 June 2021, followed by expert review using a structured process to minimise bias. The definition of peri-operative cardiac arrest was the delivery of five or more chest compressions and/or defibrillation in a patient having a procedure under the care of an anaesthetist. The peri-operative period began with the World Health Organization `sign-in´checklist or first hands-on contact with the patient and ended either 24 h after the patient handover (e.g. to the recovery room or intensive care unit) or at discharge if this occured earlier than 24 h. These components described the epidemiology of peri-operative cardiac arrest in the UK and provide a basis for developing guidelines and interventional studies.

Summary Detailed contemporary knowledge of the characteristics of the surgical population, national anaesthetic workload, anaesthetic techniques and behaviours are essential to monitor productivity, inform policy and direct research themes. Every 3–4 years, the Royal College of Anaesthetists, as part of its National Audit Projects (NAP), performs a snapshot activity survey in all UK hospitals delivering anaesthesia, collecting patient‐level encounter data from all cases under the care of an anaesthetist. During November 2021, as part of NAP7, anaesthetists recorded details of all cases undertaken over 4 days at their site through an online survey capturing anonymous patient characteristics and anaesthetic details. Of 416 hospital sites invited to participate, 352 (85%) completed the activity survey. From these, 24,177 reports were returned, of which 24,172 (99%) were included in the final dataset. The work patterns by day of the week, time of day and surgical specialty were similar to previous NAP activity surveys. However, in non‐obstetric patients, between NAP5 (2013) and NAP7 (2021) activity surveys, the estimated median age of patients increased by 2.3 years from median (IQR) of 50.5 (28.4–69.1) to 52.8 (32.1–69.2) years. The median (IQR) BMI increased from 24.9 (21.5–29.5) to 26.7 (22.3–31.7) kg.m–2. The proportion of patients who scored as ASA physical status 1 decreased from 37% in NAP5 to 24% in NAP7. The use of total intravenous anaesthesia increased from 8% of general anaesthesia cases to 26% between NAP5 and NAP7. Some changes may reflect the impact of the COVID‐19 pandemic on the anaesthetic population, though patients with confirmed COVID‐19 accounted for only 149 (1%) cases. These data show a rising burden of age, obesity and comorbidity in patients requiring anaesthesia care, likely to impact UK peri‐operative services significantly.

Presence of a biliary stent was associated with a significant decrease in the accuracy of EUS-FNA for histologic diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, while accuracy was increased when a cytopathologist was onsite. EUS-FNA should be performed prior to ERCP in jaundiced patients with suspected pancreatic cancer.