A “sample” Scope of Service of the Anesthesia Department

Types of Patients Served

The Anaesthesia department provides its services to all patients who need anaesthesia / sedation for any surgical or diagnostic procedures, for all age groups (neonates, infants, pediatrics, adult and elderly).

Range of Treatments or Activities Performed

The anaesthesia services include all types of anaesthesia whether in the form of general inhalational and/or intravenous anaesthesia, spinal and epidural, major nerve blocks, Biers blocks, local block, sedation, conscious sedation and monitoring anaesthesia care (MAC).
All the surgical patients will be seen in the anaesthesia clinic before scheduling for surgery. A qualified anesthetist will examine, assess and prepare the patients for surgery. This service is available daily during the working hours.
After ending the peri-operative procedure, the service will extend to the recovery room where the patients will stay till the discharge criteria from the R.R. are fulfilled. The recovery room is well equipped with trained nurses and standard monitoring.
Anaesthesia service also covers the care of the postoperative patients transferred to the ICU and the care of the ventilated patients. The anesthetist is involved in the active management of the acute ill patients in the ICU.
Pain management in the hospital (mainly the acute pain) is a part of our anaesthesia services. This will include mainly the postoperative patients as well as patients with any acute pain crisis as the sickle cell patients. Also we provided pain control for normal labor. Many tools for pain management are used including PCA, epidural and major nerve blocks.
The on call anesthetist and the anesthesia technician are part of the main code blue team, and this service is directed mainly for taking care of the airway passage during CPR.

Types of Staff Carrying Out these Activities

The number of anaesthesia staff is appropriate to the number of theaters and areas where anaesthesia services are needed. The average number of anesthetist (consultants and specialists) is 8-10. This number can increase concomitantly with any further expansion of the service.
With each anesthetist, and in each theater, there is usually an anaesthesia technician in case for any aid needed during and throughout the operation. The anesthesia technician is responsible for preparation of the machine, drugs and monitors before starting anesthesia.

Sites where Care and Service are Provided

The services are provided inside many standard surgical theaters, in addition to specialized theaters for caesarean section and IVF. Also the service is extended for patients in the endoscope room, cardiac catheter lab, ESWL room, MRI, and CT room and labor room as needed.
All the theaters are well equipped with standard monitoring, Anaesthesia machines, and all the standard drugs.

Time When Care and Service are Provided

The services cover 8 hours / day for elective procedures in addition of 24 hours / day for emergency cases. The emergency services are always covered by a first on-call specialist and a second on-call anesthesia consultant.
As a rule, all the services are regulated by protocols and guidelines approved by the hospital administration and the head of anaesthesia department.
In the near future, the service will expand to have a special area for Day case surgery. With the opening of the new operating rooms in the new building, a cardiothoracic unit will start.