­M I N U T E S 6th OXFORD REGION AIRWAY GROUP MEETING ­

Tuesday 25^th September 2007

John Radcliffe Hospital

Chair: Dr Benham

1. Introduction

SB welcomed everyone to the meeting, and thanked everyone for attending and contributing to as very enjoyable meeting. Dr Wyatt from Leicester, and Dr Vanner from Cheltenham had provided very high quality lectures around the subject of One Lung Ventilation. Dr Scott had arranged for practical demonstrations of these techniques in the foyer over coffee time. There were 2 registrar presentations, Dr Kevin Johnstone (Oxford) and Dr Philip Gallen (Royal Berkshire Hospital). Both presentations were of high quality, and Dr Johnstone was awarded the prize for best presentation.

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2. ORAG research activities

Dr Marfin reminded the meeting thqt the 2 research projects looking at the Airtraq and i-gel devices, were nearing completion. No other research projects were proposed.

3. Oxford Region Airway Group Website

Dr Rangasami (Wexham Park Hospital) informed the group that the website had added a counter to track interest in the various parts of the website. Some discussion arose about extending the role of website to incorporate a diificult airway database, along the lines of the one piloted in Northampton. The group were informed that the AAGBI had been interested in this area, and Dr Rangasami suggested ORAG should pilot this. Dr Rangasami will approach AAGBI to seek their support in this, and prior to the next meeting circulate a proposal for this. The group thanked Dr Rangasami and Dr Chekairi for their work in keeping the website up to date. The site can be visited at www.orag.co.uk

4. Airway workshops and ORAG courses

Dr Benham asked individuals to update the group on Airway Workshops.

Dr Rangasami (WPH) intimated that Wexham had held it’s 8^th Airway workshop, and that future workshops would be open to any interested and would be free of charge! Dr Rangasami was congratulated on his fiscal ability and desire to run these workshops free of charge. The next workshop was planned for January 2008.

Dr Marfin commented that the AAGBI winter and annual meetings workshops continued to be well subscribed and he and Dr Dravid were continuing to organise these. He hinted that the AAGBI may be reducing the numbers of external faculty at these in future meetings.

Dr Manji (Milton Keynes) was reported to have organised a airway workshop in MK in January 2008. He and Dr Scott were considering running the joint ENT/Anaesthetic workshop again, but no definite date decided yet.

Mike Goodwin(Northampton) informed the meeting that Northampton also was running an airway workshop in January 2008.

Dr Popat and Benham have planned to run a standard workshop in Oxford in March 2008.

It was suggested and agreed that exact dates and details of all these workshops would be posted on the website.

Dr Benham updated the group on the Oxford Training the Trainers meeting which had been held in March 2007, There was a feeling that the Airway Trainers course would be best run by the RCA and Dr Popat had received the go-ahead to run it in April 22^nd 2008 at the College. ORAG was asked to support this, and it will also be advertised on the ORAG website.

5. Report from DAS Working Party evaluating new devices

Dr Scott had been on this working group set up to try and provide a useful structure to work with industry to evaluate new airway devices brought onto the market. The ORAG structure with it’s willing and enthusiastic Consultants, and a dedicated website seemed to have in place much already which could be used for this. Dr Scott will update us on the progress of the group, and whether they wish ORAG to pilot any of their projects.

6. ORAG airway fellows

Dr Kapila and Dr Rangasami reported that their intermittent supply of airway fellows had proved difficult in the region. The anaesthetic STC was aware of their concerns, and the solution would need to be at that forum. The airway fellows themselves reported that they had initiated a regular monthly meeting, which had somewhat lapsed recently, but there appeared to be an appetite to resurrect it.

7. Any Other Business

Dr Popat informed the group that Oxford University Press had approached him to write a book on the difficult airway. He had agreed to it, if it could be authored by members of ORAG. He would be contacting people in the next few weeks, for specific topics..

Dr Benham reminded the group that ORAG had appointed it’s office bearers for a 3 year period in the first instance, and that that time coming to an end. It was suggested that by the next meeting proposals for these positions would be circulated. If anyone wished to stand for Chair, Website Programmer, or Research Coordinator, that they should intimate that to Dr Benham.

Dr Benham reminded the group that the DAS annual meeting was approaching and encouraged as much attendance as possible.

The next ORAG meeting will be held in Wexham Park Hospital in the Spring of 2008. A full programme will follow.

Dr S W Benham. September 2007 stuart.benham@nda.ox.ac.uk