Estimates have been made of the amounts of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) in the operating room of University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH) where nitrous oxide (N2O) a potential source of NO is used as an anaesthetic agent Measurements were made using palmes diffusion tubes, a device which is capable of taking samples of NO2 gas from the atmosphere through diffusion or permeation of this compound to the interior and subsequently trapping it by means of adsorption on reactive material, but which does not involve the active movement of the gas through the sampler.

The purpose of this study is to describe negative pressure pulmonary oedema due to undetected tracheal tube obstruction in a paediatric patient. A healthy 6 week-old scheduled for release of tongue-tie under general anaesthesia was noticed to be diagnosed at the preparation of the surgical site. The patient was quickly assessed, and ventilation with 100% oxygen was commenced. The heart sounds were still present. Two minutes later, pink frothy secretion was noticed in the lumen of the tracheal tube.

Ambulatory surgical care is becoming a common feature in Nigeria. Reports on the role of anaesthesia on outcome of surgery in ambulatory setting are rather scanty. In a 24-month period all patients who had gynaecological operations on ambulatory setting were identified and their hospital records reviewed. Sociodemographic characteristics, intraoperative variables, postoperative outcome and postoperative pain management were studied. A total of 28 patients had anaesthesia for various gynaecological procedures.

A 29-year-old woman was referred from Jos University Teaching Hospital (J.U.T.H) with a provisional diagnosis of phaeochromcytoma. She had presented with recurrent headaches, palpitations, excessive sweating, dizziness, syncope and hypertension. She was treated with phenoxybenzamine and propranolol for six weeks before the drugs were discontinued. This followed conflicting results of investigations done. The return of persistent and severe symptoms led to recommencement of the drugs and surgical intervention after four weeks.

A survey of awareness about the scope and attitudes towards anaesthesia among anaesthetists was carried out in three tertiary institutions in Nigeria. This was done by self-administered questionnaires distributed to the anaesthetists. The results of the study showed a mean age of 36 years and a male preponderance among the anesthetists. 57.2% of the anaesthetists were unaware or had limited knowledge of the scope of anaesthesia prior to training. Only 8.6% of the anaesthetists joined the specialty out of the interest to develop anaesthesia and save lives.