WFSA’s YouTube channel contains over 60 films in English, French and Spanish, with a range of anaesthesia related videos for information, education, training and campaigning purposes.

Can J Anesth/J Can Anesth June 2018, Volume 65, Issue 6, pp 698–708

The conduct of paediatric anaesthesia presents many unique challenges. One of the most striking is the variabilityof behaviour and responses ...x">of children and their parents at induction. Behavioural problems, the need for restraint,difficult IV accessandco-morbiditiesadd complexity andcan make the art of maintaining a calm and smooth induction incredibly difficult. This tutorial will discuss sixof the common problems that arise at induction and how these may best be overcome. more

Based on the recently updated 2018 WHO-WFSA International Standards for a Safe Practice of Anaesthesia the WFSA has developed the Anaesthesia Facility Assessment Tool (AFAT) in order to help regional and national anaesthesia and health care leadersh...ip to gather data about anaesthesia workforce, equipment, medicines and practice at the facility level. The AFAT is part of a shared effort to improve data collection and knowledge management in support of the implementation of World Health Assembly Resolution 68.15 and to ensure that anaesthesia is represented in national health planning and in National Surgical, Obstetric & Anaesthesia Plans (NSOAPs). more

A all for global Action. The Oral Health Atlas. Second edition

Objective: To identify gaps in national stroke guidelines that could be bridged to enhance the quality of stroke care services in low- and middle-income countries. Methods: We systematically searched medical databases and websites ...ribute-to-highlight medbox">of medical societies and contacted international organizations. Country-specific guidelines on care and control of stroke in any language published from 2010 to 2020 were eligible for inclusion. We reviewed each included guideline for coverage of four key components of stroke services (surveillance, prevention, acute care and rehabilitation). We also assessed compliance with the eight Institute of Medicine standards for clinical practice guidelines, the ease of implementation of guidelines and plans for dissemination to target audiences. Findings: We reviewed 108 eligible guidelines from 47 countries, including four low-income, 24 middle-income and 19 high-income countries. Globally, fewer of the guidelines covered primary stroke prevention compared with other components of care, with none recommending surveillance. Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries fell short of the required standards for guideline development; breadth of target audience; coverage of the four components of stroke services; and adaptation to socioeconomic context. Fewer low- and middle-income country guidelines demonstrated transparency than those from high-income countries. Less than a quarter of guidelines encompassed detailed implementation plans and socioeconomic considerations. Conclusion: Guidelines on stroke in low- and middle-income countries need to be developed in conjunction with a wider category of health-care providers and stakeholders, with a full spectrum of translatable, context-appropriate interventions. more

Key questions What is already known? Critical illness is common throughout the world and COVID-19 has caused a global surge of critically ill patients. There are large gaps in the quality... of care for critically ill patients, especially in low-staffed and low-resourced settings, and mortality rates are high. Essential Emergency and Critical Care (EECC) is the effective lifesaving care of low-cost and low-complexity that all critically ill patients should receive in all wards in all hospitals in the world. What are the new findings? The clinical processes that comprise EECC and the essential care of critically ill patients with COVID-19 have been specified in a large consensus among clinical experts worldwide. The resource requirements for hospitals to be ready to provide this care has been described. What do the new findings imply? The findings can be used across medical specialties in hospitals worldwide to prioritise and implement essential care for reducing preventable deaths. Inclusion of the EEEC processes could increase the impact of pandemic preparedness and response programmes and policies for health systems strengthening. more

These WHO guidelines which were updated in 2018, are valid for any country and suitable to local adaptations, and take account of the strength of available scientific evidence, the cost and resource... implications, and patient values and preferences. The 2018 edition of the guidelines includes the revision of the recommendation regarding the use of 80% fraction of inspired oxygen (high FiO2) in surgical patients under general anaesthesia with tracheal intubation and the update of the section on implementation. Between 2017 and 2018, WHO re-assessed the evidence on the use of high FiO2 by updating the systematic review related to the effectiveness of this intervention to reduce SSI and commissioning an independent systematic review on adverse events potentially associated with it. Based on the updated evidence, the GDG decided to revise the strength of the recommendation from strong to conditional. more

Humanitarian emergencies and crises (Humanitarian emergencies and crises) are large-scale events that may result in the breakdown of health care systems and society, forced displacement, death, and physical, psychological, social and spiritual suffe...ring on a massive scale. Current responses to Humanitarian emergencies and crises rightfully focus on saving lives, but for both ethical and medical reasons, the prevention and relief of pain, as well as other physical and psychological symptoms, social and spiritual distress, also are imperative. Therefore, palliative care, should be integrated into responses to Humanitarian emergencies and crises. The principles of humanitarianism and impartiality require that all patients receive care and should never be abandoned for any reason, even if they are dying. Thus, there is significant overlap in the principles and mission of palliative care and humanitarianism: relief of suffering; respect for the dignity of all people; support for basic needs; and accompaniment during the most difficult of times more

The document introduces a simple classification, minimums standards and a registration form for Foreign Medical Teams (FMTs) that may provide surgical and trauma care arriving within the aftermath of a sudden onset disaster. These can serve as tools... to improve the coordination of the foreign medical team response, and be the reference for registration on arrival as well as a possible global registration mechanism similar to what exists for urban search and rescue teams more

First published in 2020, this toolkit is intended for clinicians working in acute care, managing adult and paediatric patients with acute respiratory infection, including severe pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, sepsis and septic shock. The main objective is to provide key tools for us...e in the care of critically ill patients – from hospital entry to hospital discharge. The 2022 updated version includes new tools and adapted algorithms, checklists, memory aids for COVID-19 and influenza, and the latest clinical evidence regarding clinical management of SARI. It is intended to help clinicians care for SARI patients: from epidemiology of severe acute respiratory infections, screening and triage, infection prevention and control, monitoring of patients, laboratory diagnosis, principles of oxygen therapy and different types of ventilation (invasive and non-invasive), as well as antimicrobial and immunomodulator therapies, to ethical and quality of care assessments. The first edition is availbel in Ukrainian and Russian more

The design of anaesthesia equipment for use in hospitals in the developing world must take intoaccount the local conditions, particularly whether reliable supplies ...t medbox">of compressed oxygen andelectricity are available. Designs should ensure that maintenance is feasible locally. Internationalstandards should encourage the design of suitable equipment to ensure safe anaesthesia for patientsworldwide Anaesthesia, 2007,62(Suppl. 1), pages 54–60 more

The report and an accompanying series of studies show the global uptake of the World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist in its fir...st ten years since its launch and recommend ways the Checklist can be more effectively used to improve surgical safety for millions at risk. The report found that uptake has been remarkably positive: the Checklist has been adopted in almost 90% of operating rooms in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI), a country-level measure of health, education, and standard of living. It was referenced by at least 139 (70%) of the world's countries and is included as a national standard by the health ministries of at least 20 countries. The Checklist has also had beneficial qualitative impact, introducing a culture of safety and improved communication within surgical teams, increasing patient trust, and improving job satisfaction. more

The aim of this handbook is to provide guidance for trained anaesthetists working for the ICRC and to offer advice in areas where practice will differ from that in their home country. It is designed to supplement the practical training given in ICRC... war-surgery seminars and to support the work of the ICRC in war surgery more

The SAFE Paediatric Anaesthesia course is an 'off the shelf package' supported by a facilitator manual, teaching materials and standard operating procedures. It is hoped that the course is clinically relevant and will improve the practice of anaesth...esia for children to a safe standard. more