In English

Staff
Medical staff: 1 head, 3 professors, 33 specialists in anaesthesiology, 6 doctors in training, and 8 Ph.D. students.
Nurses: 1 chief nurse, 1 chief nurse instructor, 7 staff nurses, 150 nurses and auxiliary nurses, including 7 in training. 44 porters are employed in the department.
Secretaries: 1 chief secretary and 7 secretaries.

The following are the main clinical responsibilities of the Department of Anaesthesia:

Anaesthesia for:

• Orthopaedic surgery (6 operating rooms)
• Ear-nose-throat surgery, eye surgery and oral and maxillofacial surgery (8 operating rooms) with a recovery room with 5 beds and a day-surgery section with 4 beds
• Plastic surgery and burns (5 operating rooms)

Section of Acute Pain Management and Palliative Medicine
The Section of Acute Pain Management and Palliative Medicine has two units, one for acute pain treatment and one for palliative medicine. Both units serve all the departments at Rigshospitalet. The staff of the section consists of three specialists in anaesthesiology, 1 clinical research fellow, 3 nurses, and 1 FTE medical secretary.

The Hyberbaric Chamber
A specialist in anaesthesiology attends the hyberbaric oxygenation (HBO) treatments in the Hyberbaric Chamber together with a nurse and two technicians from Hyperbaric Consult (an engineering firm). Treatment is primarily given to patients with carbon monoxide poisoning, decompression sickness, radiation injury after successful treatment of cancer, or wounds with healing failure. The chamber has 7 seats and can be converted into an emergency room, if needed.

The Mobile Emergency Care Unit (MECU)
This unit is situated at Copenhagen Main Fire Station in central Copenhagen. Three ambulances are on call during day time and two during evening and night. The ambulances are manned by specialists in anaesthesiology; at present 35 persons. During daytime doctors from the Department of Anaesthesia are on duty.

Project with a Helicopter Emergency Unit
A helicopter emergency unit has started on May 1, 2010. This ensures that the doctors can arrive rapidly to the severely ill or injured patients, and that the patients can be transferred to specialised treatment in the shortest possible time. In the project period (2 years) only Zealand is covered by the helicopter unit, and patients can be admitted to Rigshospitalet in less than 30 minutes from the scene of the accident.



Helipad
In November 2007 a helipad was opened on the roof of Rigshospitalet. A porter from the clinic is present at all landings together with a technician. In 2010 we had 563 landings. 



Trauma Team Leader
The trauma team attends severely injured patients in the level 1 Trauma Centre. The trauma team leader is a specialist in anaesthesiology, and nurse anaesthetists and junior anaesthesiologists are part of the team.



Major Incident Command Centre (MICC)
The MICC is responsible for management and coordination of pre-hospital and in-hospital resources in case of major incidents and disasters.
The MICC coordinates contacts with the police, the fire brigade, emergency medical services, and rescue services, and is involved in stand-by arrangements for mass gatherings, VIP visits, and special events in the Copenhagen area.

Paediatric Anaesthesia
More than 2000 children are anaesthetised in the department every year. Specially trained anaesthesiologists and nurse anaesthetists manage these patients.

Academic Department of Anaesthesia and Intensive Care
This unit comprises all anaesthesia departments at Rigshospitalet, but is centrally coordinated from the Department of Anaesthesia in the Centre of Head and Orthopaedics.

Clinical Activities
In 2020 10,982 anaesthesia were performed.
Mean operation time: 181 min./operation.
Additionally, 2,947 so-called ”other activities” were performed (trauma calls/alert of trauma patients, cardiac arrest calls etc.).
The Hyberbaric Chamber had 3,869 elective and 277 acute treatments in 2010.
The Section of Palliative Medicine had 469 contacts in the out-patient clinic and 324 visits were performed on hospitalised patients.
The Mobile Intensive Care Unit had 10,557 alarms, and there were 563 landings at the helipad on the roof of Rigshospitalet.

Budget
The Department’s annual budget is in excess of DKK 140 million (approx. 18,8 mill. EUR).

Research
Main areas of research are trauma care, effects and side effects of anaesthetic drugs, clinical trials, advanced airway management, cardiac arrest and emergency medicine. The department participates in and coordinates several international multi-centre projects within hyperbaric medicine and cognitive dysfunction after operation and anaesthesia. Eight Ph.D. students are employed in the department.

Education
The Department is responsible for both clinical and basic medical education of students, doctors, nurses in training and others.
Basic education and continuing professional development has a very high priority in the department. The ATCN (Advanced Traumatology Course for Nurses) course, for instance, is compulsory for all nurses on duty.

Courses
Three courses for anaesthesiologists are held annually:

• Challenges in paediatric anaesthesia
• Modern techniques for peripheral nerve blockade
• Airway management for anaesthesiologists

- the first two in Danish and the third one in English. For more information please see www.anop.rh.dk/uddannelse

Development
The mission of the department is to be in the front line concerning development. Lately, we have focussed on quality improvement, development of courses and further training, and information. One example is the production of a video and a booklet for children and their parents, about what happens when children are anaesthetised. Also, a DVD about anaesthesia for children has been produced. The DVD addresses doctors in training and nurse anaesthetists.

Address

Department of Anaesthesia
The Secretariat 4231
Centre of Head and Orthopaedics
Copenhagen University Hospital
Rigshospitalet, DK-2100 Copenhagen
Denmark
Telephone: +45 3545 3474
Fax: +45 3545 2950
Hoc-anop@rh.regionh.dk
www.anop.dk