NovPod - Season 2, Episode 11: Prevention and management of pain during caesarean section

Eoin and Rosie are joined by Susanna Stanford, a patient advocate, to talk through the importance of the prevention and management of pain during C-section. We discuss how to avoid pitfalls when testing neuraxial anaesthesia and how to manage problems under regional anaesthesia, and then go on to discuss the criticality of patient communication and human factors when facing problems with neuraxial blockade.

References 

The Novpod: a beginner's guide to obstetric anaesthesia is created, edited and co-hosted by Dr Eoin Dore, Dr Duncan Kemp and Dr Rosie Grimes. The NovPod is presented by Anaesthesia on Air, in association with the Royal College of Anaesthetists. NovPod series 2 was created in collaboration with the RCoA and Obstetric Anaesthetists’ Association.

Please note all opinions expressed in the podcast are those of the individuals appearing on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views of the RCoA and OAA.

Eoin Dore
Co-Creator, Editor and producer

Eoin graduated from UCL in 2014 and after completing foundation training in London, one particularly challenging night shift made him realise the impact that he could have on patients by pursuing a career in anaesthetics and critical care. Following this new found ambition, he began ACCS anaesthetics training in Birmingham before starting his registrar training in Thames Valley in 2021. After completing a year as Chief Registrar at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, he is now in his ST6 year at Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Twitter: @DoreEoin

Dr Rosie Grimes
Co-host and producer

Rosie is an ST6 anaesthetic trainee who graduated from UCL in 2014. She has carried out her anaesthetic training to date in South London, and has an interest in Education and Wellbeing.

Susanna Stanford
Guest speaker

Following experience of spinal anaesthetic failure for a caesarean section in 2010, Susanna became interested in patient safety. She campaigned for and co-authored the Obstetric Anaesthetists' Association guidelines on testing and management of neuraxial blocks for caesarean sections, published in Anaesthesia in 2022. She continues to speak, raising awareness of neuraxial block failure, both in the UK and internationally.

Susanna was a co-author of the recent National Safety Standards for Invasive Procedures (NatSSIPs2). She has a wide range of experience of public and patient involvement in research, working on multiple national projects to improve maternity safety. She is an ambassador for the Clinical Human Factors Group and co-chair of Baby Lifeline’s Family Voices Group.

Twitter: @SusannaStanford