Anaesthesia for appendicectomy in childhood: a survey of practice in Northern Ireland.

A postal questionnaire was sent to all members of the Northern Ireland Society of Anaesthetists to determine current practice in anaesthesia for children with acute appendicitis. Respondents were asked to describe their usual practice in such cases. They were also asked about the occurrence of complications due to the use of suxamethonium, and for their views on the use of rocuronium in such cases. Few major differences in anaesthetic technique were demonstrated. 74% of consultants and 84% of trainees always perform a rapid sequence induction for appendicectomy. However 15% of consultants do not feel that this is necessary. Only 6% of consultants and 6% of trainees would normally use rocuronium, with the majority still preferring suxamethonium. Only 28% of consultants and 20% of trainees see rocuronium as a possible alternative to suxamethonium in these cases, although others expressed increasing concern over the use of suxamethonium in children. There was wide variation in the type of intra-operative and post-operative analgesia prescribed, with less than one third of consultants and trainees using combinations of opioids, local anaesthetics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.