Lesson 1Focused history taking: comorbidities, OSA screening (STOP-Bang), functional status, medication review, fasting statusThis lesson covers systematic preoperative history-taking with focus on existing health issues, sleep apnoea screening using tools like STOP-Bang, daily activity levels, review of medicines and allergies, and checking if the patient has fasted, to spot risks that can be managed and plan anaesthesia properly in Ugandan clinics.
Main health issues and past anaesthesia experiencesSTOP-Bang and other sleep apnoea screening methodsChecking daily activity and exercise abilityReview of medicines, allergies, and blood thinnersConfirming fasting and risk of stomach contents entering lungsLesson 2Diabetes management pre-op: glucose targets, perioperative insulin/oral hypoglycemics guidance, blood glucose testing timingThis lesson details how to manage diabetes before and during surgery, including sugar level goals, when and how to adjust insulin and tablets, preventing low sugar, monitoring schedule, and working with surgery and diabetes teams for tricky cases in Ugandan settings.
Pre-op sugar level goals and reasonsAdjusting long-acting and quick insulin dosesHandling tablets and non-insulin medicinesTiming and frequency of sugar level testsSpotting and preventing low sugar episodesLesson 3Documentation checklist: crucial items to record for handover and anesthesia record continuityThis lesson outlines key records needed for safe anaesthesia care, covering initial checks, risk talks, consent checks, lists of medicines and allergies, and handover notes to keep things smooth, traceable, and protected legally in Ugandan hospitals.
Main parts of the pre-op anaesthesia noteRecording health issues and risk scoresNoting medicines, allergies, and no-food statusStandard handover and transfer recordsLegal and quality check pointsLesson 4Respiratory and cardiovascular exam: auscultation, signs of heart failure, blood pressure control, peripheral perfusionThis lesson describes focused checks on breathing and heart systems, including looking, listening with stethoscope, signs of heart weakness, blood pressure checks, fluid levels, and blood flow to limbs, linking findings to anaesthesia risks and preparations in Uganda.
Breathing check by looking and listeningSpotting wheezes, crackles, and blockagesHeart listening and heart failure signsBlood pressure and fluid level checksLimb blood flow and vessel statusLesson 5Identification of anesthesia-related risks: aspiration, difficult airway, hypoventilation, obstructive apnea, perioperative MI/stroke riskThis lesson explores spotting anaesthesia risks like stomach contents entering lungs, hard breathing tube placement, low breathing, sleep apnoea events, and heart or brain issues during surgery, using clinical signs and tools to plan prevention in Ugandan practice.
Checking risk of stomach contents and full stomachPredicting hard mask or tube placementSleep apnoea, low breathing, and sensitivity to painkillersEstimating heart attack and stroke risks around surgeryPlanning ways to reduce these risksLesson 6ASA physical status classification: criteria, examples, applying ASA class to this patient with obesity, HTN, diabetes, OSAThis lesson reviews ASA body status categories, rules for each, common examples, and how to apply to patients with extra weight, high blood pressure, diabetes, and sleep apnoea, stressing steady use, limits, and role in sharing risks in Uganda.
ASA categories I to VI and emergency markerClinical examples for each ASA categoryApplying ASA to extra weight and sleep apnoeaLimits of ASA in predicting risksUsing ASA in talks and recordsLesson 7Patient communication and informed consent: explaining plan, fasting, CPAP use, postoperative expectationsThis lesson focuses on good patient talks, joint decisions, and consent, explaining anaesthesia plan, fasting rules, CPAP machine use, after-surgery pain control, and recording understanding and questions answered in Ugandan contexts.
Structuring pre-op anaesthesia discussionExplaining fasting, medicines, and CPAP useDiscussing risks, benefits, and other optionsSetting after-surgery hopes and recoveryChecking understanding and recording consentLesson 8Airway evaluation: Mallampati, thyromental distance, neck circumference, neck mobility, dentition, prior airway recordsThis lesson covers structured breathing path checks using Mallampati score, chin-to-throat distance, neck size, neck movement, teeth condition, and past records, combining findings into a hard airway plan and records for safety around surgery in Uganda.
Mallampati and mouth-throat checkChin-to-throat distance and jaw pushNeck size and movement checkTeeth, false teeth, and loose onesReviewing past breathing path and anaesthesia recordsLesson 9Selecting relevant preoperative investigations: labs, ECG, HbA1c, pregnancy test if indicated, CXR indicationsThis lesson guides choosing pre-op tests based on patient risks and procedure, including blood work, heart tracing, long-term sugar test, pregnancy check if needed, and chest X-ray, avoiding extra tests while keeping safety and rules in Ugandan facilities.
Rules for choosing tests wiselyBasic blood work and kidney function testsHeart tracing and heart test needsRole of HbA1c in diabetes preparationPregnancy tests and chest X-ray rules
