FCAI Exam Syllabus
1) Perioperative Management
2) Airway management
3) General anaesthesia for ASA I-II patients for low-risk procedures
4) Regional anaesthesia (i)- Neuraxial and foundation peripheral nerve blockade
5) Anaesthesia for ambulatory surgery
6) Anaesthesia for orthopaedic surgery
7) Trauma management
8) Transfer of critically unwell patient
9) Anaesthesia for general, urological and gynaelogical surgery
10) Anaesthesia for plastic and reconstructive surgery, including burns
11) Anaesthesia outside of OT, including conscious sedation
12) Regional anaesthesia (ii)- peripheral nerve blockade
13) Anaesthesia for ophthalmic surgery
14) Anaesthesia for otolaryngology, oral and maxillofacial, head and neck surgery
15) Anaesthesia for vascular surgery
16) Anaesthesia for neurosurgery and neuroradiology
17) Anaesthesia for cardiac and thoracic surgery
18) Anaesthesia and analgesia for obstetric care
19) Anaesthesia for paediatric surgery
20) Intensive care medicine
21) Pain medicine
Preoperative Management
1. History
2. Physical Examination
3. Investigations
-Specify why are you asking the questions and what you are seeking for
4. Optimization of conditions
-nutrition, anaemia, cardiac and respiratory function
5. Post-operative HDU/ICU indicated?
6. Fasting guidelines
Intraoperative Management
1. Mode of anaesthesia/Anaesthetic technique
2. Airway management
3. Positioning and impact
4. Duration and impact
5. Warming
6. Thromboprophylaxis
7. Intraoperative monitoring – AAGBI
8. Intraoperative analgesia
9. PONV
[Link] prophylaxis
[Link] of bleeding
[Link] balance
[Link] issues relating to surgery
Postoperative Management
1. Where is patient going to be cared for
2. Ongoing need for O2/ventilatory support – Why?
3. Pain management
4. PONV
5. Thromboprophylaxis
6. Enteral
Opening sentence:
‘Anaesthesia for patients with thyroid disease has implications in the pre-,
intra- and post-operative periods’.
Summarizing the case:
One possible answer may begin:
‘This is an elderly gentleman with complex medical problems who is
scheduled for a cardio-oesophagectomy. He has evidence of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease, ischaemic heart disease and diabetes. There
will be substantial strain on his cardio-respiratory system. This operation is a
major procedure that involves considerable fluid shifts, a potential for large
blood loss and requires careful attention to analgesia. These are the main
issues that I would concentrate on in my pre-operative assessment’.
Patient Conditions and Their Impact on Anaesthetic Management
A: airway.
B: respiratory.
C: cardiovascular.
D: neurological, both central and peripheral (disability).
E: endocrine.
F: pharmacology.
G: gastrointestinal.
H: haematology.
I: immunology, infection.
J: cutaneomusculoskeletal (joints).
K: renal (kidneys).
L: hepatic (liver).
M: metabolic.
N: nutrition.
O: obstetric.
P: psychological.
Medical conditions that have anaesthetic implications, e.g.
Aortic stenosis
Diabetes
Hyperthyroidism.
Surgical procedures that have anaesthetic implications, e.g.
Oesophagectomy
CABG
Pneumonectomy.
Anaesthetic emergencies/difficult situations, e.g.
Anaphylaxis
Malignant hyperthermia
Failed intubation.
Paediatric cases. These represent a limited range of cases the examiners are
likely to ask you about, e.g.
Upper airway obstruction
Pyloric stenosis
Bleeding tonsil.
