These are self assessment essay questions to help you to prepare for the final exam. In addition to getting you used to writing essays, they should also serve as useful revision aids. Answer 3 questions each week

We recommend that you read the tutorial "essay based exams" before embarking on these essays.

1. Discuss the use of PA catheters in your practise.

2. Discuss the management of a 72 year old male with Aortic Stenosis for bowel surgery.

3. Discuss the management of a woman who is 32 weeks pregnant with pre-eclampsia for non-urgent caesarian section.

4. Discuss the management of a patient presenting to casualty in respiratory failure. What are the indications for mechanical ventilation? Discuss the antibiotic management of 1) community acquired, and 2) hospital acquired, pneumonia.

5. Discuss the management of a 23 year old female with myasthenia gravis for thymectomy.

6. Discuss the management of a dyspnoeic patient with Guillain-Barre syndrome.

7. Discuss the use of "colloids" in anaesthetia practise (not critical care).

8. Discuss the management of a 4 week old baby with pyeloric stenosis.

9. Discuss the management of a 47 year old male with 40% burns and inspiratory stridor.

10. Compare and contrast fentanyl, alfentanil and remifentanil.

11. Discuss the management of a 56 year old male presenting with an incarcerated hernia and a blood glucose level of 56 mmol/l.

12. Compare and contrast the management of an anticipated and an unanticipated difficult airway.

13. Write short notes on:

a) flowmeters

b) oxygen and nitrous oxide cylinders (compare and contrast).

c) control of temperature in the operating room.

d) diathermy

e) pacemakers

14. How would you perform a coeliac plexus block? What are the indication?

15. Discuss the absolute versus the relative indications for one lung anaesthesia (OLA). A patient undergoing OLA becomes hypoxic: discuss manoeuvres for improving oxygenation.

16. Compare and contrsast dopamine, dobutamine, depexamine and noradrenaline and their use in the intensive care unit.

17. How would you perform a) supraclavicular block b) interscalene block of the brachial plexus. What are the indications for each of these blocks and associated complications.

18. Compare and contrast invasive and non invasive blood pressure measurement.

19. You are asked to assess a patient with a tracheostomy which has fallen out. The site is bleeding profusely. The patient is distressed. Discuss your management.

20. Write short notes on the following:

a) Gastric mucosal pH monitoring.
b) Transoesophageal echocardiography.
c) Stress ulcer prophylaxis.
d) Jugular bulb venous oxygen saturation.
e) Measurment of intracranial pressure.

21. List and discuss the various options of regional blockade for knee surgery.

22. Write short notes on:

a) Hypomagnesaemia.
b) Hypophosphataemia and refeeding syndrome.
c) Glutamine.
d) Serum Lactate
e) Hyperkalaemia
f) "Spurious hyponatraemia"

23. Discuss the causes and effects of metabolic alkylosis. Discuss the role of bicarbonate as a theraputic measure in anaesthesia and intensive care medicine.

24. What are the different types of hypersensitivity reactions. What is the mechanism of latex allergy and how can it be prevented.

25. Discuss the management of a 73 year old male for panendoscopy (?airway neoplasm) complaining of hoarseness and inspiratory stridor.

26. Discuss the uses of magnesium as a theraputic agent.

27. Discuss the options for managing post operative nausea and vomiting.

28. Write short notes on:

a) Transdermal drug administration.
b) Cox-2 inhibitors.
c) Tramadol
d) Enoxparin
e) Mannitol

29. Compare and contrast the anaesthetic management of acute epiglottitis and an acute bleeding tonsil.

30. Discuss the management of a 44 year old lady for elective clipping of a berry aneurysm.

31. Discuss the perioperative management of a patient with Addison's disease for elective gynaecological surgery.

32. Discuss the fasting guidelines for an 18 month old (12 kg) toddler for elective hernia repair. Discuss the perioperative fluid management for the same child, undergoing a bowel resection.

33. Discuss the following: a) the management of severe ARDS, b) non invasive ventilation.

34. a) A 2 year old child is admitted for a posterior fossa craniotomy for removal of a brain tumour. He was active and playful last night and now has a runny nose, is irritable and coughing. How would you manage this patient.

b) discuss Air Embolism as a complication of neurosurgery in terms of prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

35. A 77 year old male presents for elective repair of an abdominal aortic anaeurysm (8 cm in diameter). He had a myocardial infarction 9 months ago, and complains of chest pain on moderate exertion. How would you manage this patient?

36. A 26 year old female presents for caesarian section at 38 weeks complaining of increasing shortness of breath and haemoptysis. She has a diagnosis of mitral stenosis. She has been on digoxin for three years and is currently on diuretics.