Safe Surgery Globally By 2030: The Essential Role of Anesthesia, The View From Obstetrics

Some Lessons Consent: informed consent is a process engendered by conversation; an exchange of ideas, not a soliloquy. We should explain the full menu of anesthetic management options, with the accompanying risk and benefit profiles, avoiding a pa(ma)ternalistic attitude. Block assessment: it is “standard practice” to check the presence and adequacy of a sensory blockade, and, for cesarean delivery, be concerned when a full or partial absence of a motor blockade exists. Epidural, compared to spinal, anesthesia techniques are disproportionately associated with inadequate blockade; however, with any neuraxial technique, it is necessary to believe a patient’s declaration of inadequate pain management.