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Purpose of review Internationally there has been increased interest in maternal morbidity; both as a strategy to reduce maternal deaths and also because of the significant impact on a woman’s life as a result of suffering from maternal morbidity. The present review will evaluate the current knowledge of, and strategies to reduce maternal morbidity.

Purpose of review To discuss the recent results of the use of interventional radiology modalities treating postpartum hemorrhage (PPH).

Hypoxaemia is a potential life-threatening yet common complication in the peri-operative and periprocedural patient (e.g. during an invasive procedure at risk of deterioration of gas exchange, such as bronchoscopy). The European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) and the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine (ESICM) developed guidelines for the use of noninvasive respiratory support techniques in the hypoxaemic patient in the peri-operative and periprocedural period.

Purpose of review: Growing concerns about the environmental effects of volatile anaesthetics are likely to lead to increased use of intravenous anaesthetic drugs. Pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic (PKPD) models can increase the accuracy of intravenous drug titration, especially in populations that differ from the 'average.' However, with a growing number of PKPD models, and other technology available to date, it can be hard to see the wood for the trees. This review attempts to guide the reader through the PKPD jungle.

The COVID-19 outbreak is on the world. While many countries have imposed general lockdown, emergency services are continuing. Healthcare professionals have been infected with the virulent severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS), which spreads by close contact and aerosols. The anesthesiologist is particularly vulnerable to aerosols while performing intubation and other airway related procedures. Regional anesthesia (RA) minimizes the need for airway manipulation and the risks of cross infection to other patients, and the healthcare personnel.

Hallux valgus repair is associated with moderate-to-severe postoperative pain. The aim of this systematic review was to assess the available literature and develop recommendations for optimal pain management after hallux valgus repair. A systematic review using PROcedure SPECific Postoperative Pain ManagemenT (PROSPECT) methodology was undertaken.

Airway emergencies are life-threatening events that face providers of many different backgrounds. In cannot-intubate-cannot-ventilate situations, emergent access to the airway can be obtained through the cricothyroid membrane by cricothyroidotomy. The 3 main techniques are open, percutaneous, and needle cricothyroidotomy. To date, there is no compelling evidence demonstrating superiority of a particular approach. Ultimately, the method used for cricothyroidotomy should be based on the comfort and experience of the provider performing the procedure.

Patient safety is an activity to mitigate preventable patient harm that may occur during the delivery of medical care. The European Board of Anaesthesiology (EBA)/European Union of Medical Specialists had previously published safety recommendations on minimal monitoring and postanaesthesia care, but with the growing public and professional interest it was decided to produce a much more encompassing document. The EBA and the European Society of Anaesthesiology (ESA) published a consensus on what needs to be done/achieved for improvement of peri-operative patient safety.

Purpose of review: The objective of this review is to identify the potential of peripheral nerve blocks established over the last years for perioperative pain management in breast surgery. These new blocks will be discussed with respect to their clinical effect and necessity.