What is the RSDCDCA course about?

The Remote Situations, Difficult Circumstances and Delevoping Country Anaesthesia course (RSDCDCA) is designed to teach and prepare specialist anaesthetists for work in Third World countries and particularly for situations of civil disaster and military conflict. Participants are equipped with the theoretical knowledge, improvisation and practical skills needed. The week long course consists of twenty hours of didactic teaching, five hours of workshops and forty sessions in the operating theatre.

Why do specialist anaesthetists want to attend?

The most common reason for attending is that participants want to be able to "offer their services in Developing Countries". The last six courses have been well oversubscribed by applicants from every Australian state and territory, New Zealand, South East Asia and North America. The only other such course is held in the UK.

Is teaching "draw over" techniques "best practice"? 

The major teaching point with regard to "draw over" is the importance of meticulous face mask and airway techniques. Most anaesthetists in "teaching" hospitals will have taught medical students, interns, nurses even non medical people to "maintain" the airway of an unconscious patient. Specialist anaesthetists "learning" draw over is not at variance with current standards and best teaching practice. All the participants for the courses are anaesthetists fully registered in Tasmania. 

What are the patients told? 

The patients are told that they are to receive an intravenous injection through their "IV drip" followed by some "sweet smelling" gas to breath as they go off to sleep. Each patient is asked whether they are willing to have course participants involved in the "beginning of their anaesthetic".

There have been no patients unwilling to be involved in the last six courses.

What sort of equipment is used?

Draw over vaporisers (EMO, OMV, PAC, Goldman) are used. These have been fully evaluated and there are numerous journal articles attesting to their performance.
The equipment is designed to continue operating in the most demanding of situations and there are no computer parts which might suddenly fail without warning.

Will patients be getting "Third World" anaesthesia?

Patients receive the anaesthetic vapour Isoflurane or Sevoflurane through a draw over vaporiser.  Nitrous Oxide is not given. Many anaesthetists already eschew the use of this agent in Neurosurgical, Cardiac, Neonatal and total intravenous Day Surgery anaesthesia. 

Anaesthesia is given with full monitoring in accord with the Australian and New Zealand College of Anaesthetists (ANZCA) guidelines.