EA is widely used in the United Kingdom following upper abdominal surgery. A degree of consensus exists on the choice of drug types, their method of administration and duration. There is no consensus as to whether the technique should be used on a general ward, which opioid should be used or the timing of heparin.

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SummaryForty anaesthetists. of all grades, were interviewed without prior warning and questioned about the checks they had performed on their anaesthetic equipment before use. The results reveal that a substantial percentage (up to 41%) of anaesthetists perform inadequate checks. Furthermore, of those that do, few follow the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland's recent guidelines.