The principles of cardiac anaesthesia

Despite the origins of cardiac surgery and anaesthesia involving experimentation and danger, modern practice has evolved to dramatically reduce risk and increase patient safety. Outcomes from cardiac surgery in the UK are consistently improving despite an aging population, increasing clinical complexity and an increasing incidence of chronic conditions such as anaemia and frailty. The management of bleeding is a great challenge to the surgeon and anaesthetist; knowledge of novel near-patient tests, blood products and their transfusion, blood conservation strategies and haemostatic agents is of paramount importance.