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MD · Anaesthesiology

Anaesthesiology thesis topics, with the design and feasibility for each

Anaesthesiology is the one broad specialty where a randomised comparative trial is genuinely routine, because the comparison usually sits inside a single theatre session: two adjuvants, two airway devices, two block approaches, two analgesic regimens. That convenience carries an administrative cost — any prospective interventional study needs ethics approval and registration with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled, and off-label or non-standard drug use draws questions from the committee. Examiners press hardest on blinding, on who recorded the outcome, and on whether the theatre list you assumed in your sample size actually ran for the whole collection period.

Topic register · 47 entries · 8 designs[6]

Read the registerAnaesthesiology thesis help
  • NMC PGMER-2023
  • NBEMS 180 days / 26 months
  • UGC 2018 · under 10%
  • ICMR 2017 · ethics

The register

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The Anaesthesiology register

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Filter by design or by feasibility, or search the titles and outcomes. Filtering only hides entries: every topic stays on the page, so nothing is lost if you clear the filters or arrive by a deep link.

Feasibility in a teaching unit

Showing 47 of 47 topics

The sample figure on each plate is a planning range read off the design, not a calculated answer. Your own number comes from a calculation against your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability in your setting, the power you want — and it belongs in the synopsis with those assumptions written beside it.

  • Topic 01 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Intrathecal dexmedetomidine versus fentanyl as an adjuvant to hyperbaric bupivacaine in elective lower limb surgery: a randomised double-blind comparison

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Time to two-segment regression of sensory block, in minutes
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A regular elective orthopaedic or lower limb list done under subarachnoid block
    • Pharmacy supply of preservative-free adjuvant and a written undertaking on its use
    • A second anaesthetist who records block regression without knowing the allocation

    What derails it

    Preservative-free dexmedetomidine is not stocked by every hospital pharmacy and its intrathecal use is off-label, so the ethics committee usually asks for a pharmacy undertaking and a justification from published practice before it clears the protocol; settle that in writing before the synopsis goes in, not after.

  • Topic 02 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Dexmedetomidine versus clonidine added to ropivacaine for ultrasound-guided supraclavicular brachial plexus block in upper limb surgery

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Duration of analgesia, taken as time from block to first rescue analgesic request
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An ultrasound machine with a linear probe available on the theatre floor, not shared with radiology
    • An upper limb trauma and elective caseload of at least two blocks a week
    • A consultant credentialled in ultrasound-guided brachial plexus block to supervise every case

    What derails it

    Blocks performed by a rotating set of residents at different points on their learning curve produce a spread of onset times wide enough to swallow the difference you are testing, so fix in the protocol that one or two named operators perform every block.

  • Topic 03 / 47

    Link to this entry

    I-gel versus ProSeal laryngeal mask airway for airway management in elective laparoscopic surgery: a randomised comparison

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Oropharyngeal leak pressure in cm H2O after successful placement
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Both devices in the sizes your adult caseload needs, stocked reliably rather than borrowed
    • A steady elective laparoscopic list, usually general surgery or gynaecology
    • A surgeon willing to accept supraglottic airway use for pneumoperitoneum in selected patients

    What derails it

    Surgeons who are uneasy about a supraglottic device under pneumoperitoneum start asking for intubation in longer cases, and those conversions land in your exclusions; get written agreement from the operating units on case selection limits before you enrol anyone.

  • Topic 04 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Videolaryngoscopy versus Macintosh direct laryngoscopy for tracheal intubation by first-year residents in elective surgical patients

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    First-attempt intubation success
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60 to 90 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A working videolaryngoscope with spare blades and a charging routine that keeps it on the floor
    • A cohort of first-year residents at a comparable stage of training
    • A supervising consultant present for every attempt, with a stated rescue plan

    What derails it

    Residents improve with every case, so if enrolment runs across the academic year their success rate climbs for reasons that have nothing to do with the device; state in the protocol how many attempts each operator contributes and keep that cap.

  • Topic 05 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Ultrasound-guided transversus abdominis plane block as part of multimodal analgesia after caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Total rescue analgesic consumption in the first 24 hours, in tramadol-equivalent milligrams
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An obstetric theatre with a reliable elective and emergency caesarean load
    • An ultrasound machine that can be brought into the obstetric theatre
    • A post-operative ward nursing team willing to record pain scores at fixed hours

    What derails it

    Night-shift ward staff record the first analgesic dose when they give it rather than when the mother asked, which shifts your primary outcome by an hour or more; build a printed observation sheet kept at the bedside and check it daily rather than reconstructing times from the drug chart.

  • Topic 06 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Ultrasound-guided erector spinae plane block for post-operative analgesia after modified radical mastectomy: a randomised comparison with standard intravenous analgesia

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Numerical rating pain score at rest at 12 hours after surgery
    Collection time
    14 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A breast surgical oncology or general surgical load that includes mastectomy weekly
    • Ultrasound, block needles and a consultant who performs fascial plane blocks routinely
    • Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    Mastectomy volume in a general surgical unit is lumpier than the annual figure suggests, with weeks of none around the oncology clinic calendar, so count the last two years month by month before you commit to a group size.

  • Topic 07 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Quadratus lumborum block versus transversus abdominis plane block for analgesia after caesarean section

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Time to first rescue analgesic request after completion of the block
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Ultrasound with an operator comfortable at the deeper quadratus lumborum views
    • A high elective caesarean load so that blocks are done in unhurried conditions
    • Agreement with the obstetric team on the position change the block requires

    What derails it

    The quadratus lumborum approach needs lateral or wedge positioning soon after a spinal, and obstetric teams in a busy theatre resist the delay; agree a fixed position and a time limit with the unit in advance or you will lose cases to protocol deviation.

  • Topic 08 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Adductor canal block versus femoral nerve block for early mobilisation after total knee arthroplasty

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Timed Up and Go test performance on the first post-operative day
    Collection time
    14 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An arthroplasty load of at least three to four knees a week
    • Ultrasound, and a physiotherapist who will test at a fixed post-operative hour
    • A uniform surgical analgesic protocol across the operating consultants

    What derails it

    If different arthroplasty consultants infiltrate the joint with their own cocktail, that infiltration and not your block drives day-one mobilisation; standardise or exclude periarticular infiltration in the protocol and confirm each surgeon has agreed.

  • Topic 09 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Serratus anterior plane block for analgesia in patients with multiple traumatic rib fractures admitted to a trauma ward

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Incentive spirometry volume at 24 hours after the block
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25 to 35 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A trauma intake that yields isolated multiple rib fracture admissions weekly
    • A portable ultrasound that can go to the trauma ward or high dependency unit
    • An incentive spirometer and a nurse or physiotherapist trained to record volumes consistently

    What derails it

    Rib fracture patients rarely arrive alone — associated head or abdominal injury, intercostal drains and sedation all confound a respiratory outcome, and the exclusion for those typically removes a large share of the intake, so audit your trauma register for isolated cases before fixing the duration.

  • Topic 10 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Pectoral nerve block versus thoracic paravertebral block for analgesia in breast surgery

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Cumulative opioid consumption in the first 24 hours, in morphine-equivalent milligrams
    Collection time
    18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A consultant who performs thoracic paravertebral blocks regularly, not occasionally
    • Ultrasound and block needles dedicated to the theatre complex
    • A breast surgical volume confirmed from the last two years of theatre registers

    What derails it

    Paravertebral block in a unit that does few of them carries a pneumothorax risk that the ethics committee will question, and a single complication will stop your enrolment; if only one consultant can do the comparator arm safely, the study is hostage to that person's leave.

  • Topic 11 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Peripheral nerve stimulator guidance versus ultrasound guidance for axillary brachial plexus block in forearm and hand surgery

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Block performance time, from probe or needle contact to completion of injection
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Both a nerve stimulator and an ultrasound machine available in the same theatre
    • A steady hand and forearm trauma list
    • An independent observer to assess sensory and motor blockade at fixed intervals

    What derails it

    Neither operator nor assessor can be blinded to the technique, so the only defensible design keeps outcome assessment with someone who leaves the theatre during the block and returns to test; write that movement into the protocol explicitly because examiners ask.

  • Topic 12 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Caudal epidural block versus dorsal penile nerve block for post-operative analgesia in children undergoing circumcision or distal hypospadias repair

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    FLACC pain score at 6 hours after surgery
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 25 to 35 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A paediatric surgery or urology list with regular distal penile procedures in an age band the observational pain scale was validated in
    • Paediatric block needles and age-appropriate monitoring
    • Parents available for a standardised telephone or ward follow-up at fixed hours

    What derails it

    Paediatric pain scoring drifts badly when a different nurse scores each child, and parental presence itself changes the FLACC observation, so nominate two trained assessors and record whether a parent was at the cot-side at each time point.

  • Topic 13 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Intranasal dexmedetomidine versus intranasal midazolam as premedication in children undergoing elective surgery

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Parental separation anxiety score at the time of transfer to theatre
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A paediatric elective list with a predictable pre-operative holding time
    • Mucosal atomiser devices and a pharmacy that will supply the agents for intranasal use
    • A trained observer who scores separation and mask acceptance on validated scales

    What derails it

    Intranasal premedication needs a fixed interval between drug and separation, and on a list that runs late or jumps order that interval varies by half an hour or more; keep a log of actual administration-to-separation times and define in advance the window beyond which a case is a deviation.

  • Topic 14 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Propofol-based total intravenous anaesthesia versus sevoflurane maintenance and emergence agitation in children undergoing short elective procedures

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Paediatric Anaesthesia Emergence Delirium score in the first 30 minutes after extubation
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Syringe pumps suitable for weight-based paediatric infusion
    • A recovery area where a trained observer can score children continuously
    • A paediatric caseload of short procedures of comparable duration and stimulus, within the age range the emergence delirium scale was validated in

    What derails it

    Emergence agitation is scored in a recovery room shared with adults, and a single noisy trolley or a delayed parent reunion changes the score more than the anaesthetic does; fix the recovery conditions, including when the parent is allowed in, in the protocol.

  • Topic 15 / 47

    Link to this entry

    High-flow nasal oxygen versus facemask preoxygenation before rapid sequence induction in adults with a predicted difficult airway

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Lowest peripheral oxygen saturation recorded during the apnoeic period
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A high-flow nasal oxygen device available in theatre rather than only in the intensive care unit
    • Continuous saturation recording that can be retrieved rather than eyeballed
    • A difficult airway caseload identified prospectively at the pre-anaesthetic clinic

    What derails it

    A study that deliberately enrols predicted difficult airways will be asked by the ethics committee to justify any randomisation that might delay securing the airway, and the consent discussion is hard; many units end up approving it only for elective cases with a named consultant present, which cuts the eligible pool sharply.

  • Topic 16 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Prophylactic noradrenaline infusion versus phenylephrine bolus for prevention of hypotension during spinal anaesthesia for caesarean section

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Incidence of hypotension, defined a priori as a fall in systolic pressure below a stated threshold
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 45 to 60 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Syringe pumps available in the obstetric theatre and a pharmacy that will prepare dilutions
    • Non-invasive blood pressure monitoring at one-minute intervals with a retrievable record
    • Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    Dilute vasopressor infusions prepared ad hoc by whoever is on duty introduce concentration errors that no analysis can rescue; insist on pharmacy-prepared or double-checked pre-filled syringes and record who prepared each one.

  • Topic 17 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Intravenous ondansetron pretreatment for attenuation of hypotension after subarachnoid block in non-obstetric surgery: a randomised placebo-controlled trial

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Maximum fall in mean arterial pressure from baseline in the first 20 minutes
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40 to 55 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A routine subarachnoid block list in general surgery, urology or orthopaedics
    • Placebo saline syringes prepared and coded by someone outside the study team
    • Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    A placebo arm means the ethics committee will want the rescue protocol written in numbers, not in words — the exact pressure that triggers a fluid bolus and the exact vasopressor dose — and a vague rescue plan is the commonest reason this design is sent back for revision.

  • Topic 18 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Forced-air warming versus passive insulation for prevention of inadvertent perioperative hypothermia in prolonged abdominal surgery

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Core temperature at the end of surgery, measured nasopharyngeally
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A forced-air warming unit with disposable blankets budgeted for the study period
    • A temperature probe and monitor module on the anaesthesia workstation
    • Elective abdominal cases expected to last beyond two hours

    What derails it

    Theatre ambient temperature in an Indian hospital swings across the year and between a split-air-conditioned and a central-plant theatre, so record theatre temperature for every case and report it, or a reviewer will assume the season explains your result.

  • Topic 19 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Intravenous dexmedetomidine versus tramadol for control of shivering after subarachnoid block

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Time from drug administration to cessation of shivering, in minutes
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A high-volume subarachnoid block list so that shivering cases accrue
    • A graded shivering scale applied by one trained observer
    • Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    Not every patient under subarachnoid block shivers at a gradeable level, so your screening number will be a multiple of your enrolled number; count eligible shivering events in a two-week pilot on your own lists rather than taking a figure from a theatre with a different ambient temperature.

  • Topic 20 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Incidence of post-dural puncture headache with 25-gauge versus 27-gauge pencil-point spinal needles in young adults

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Occurrence of post-dural puncture headache within 72 hours, by a stated definition
    Collection time
    14 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Both needle gauges stocked continuously for the whole study period
    • A telephone or ward follow-up system that reliably reaches patients on days one to three
    • A high subarachnoid block volume in young adults, typically obstetric or orthopaedic

    What derails it

    The event rate you assume in the calculation will be low, which is why the group sizes here are large, and the study then lives or dies on follow-up; patients discharged on day two are the ones who may develop the headache at home, and losing them turns a feasible thesis into an uninterpretable one.

  • Topic 21 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Programmed intermittent epidural bolus versus continuous epidural infusion for maintenance of labour analgesia

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Number of clinician-administered rescue boluses required during labour
    Collection time
    18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An established labour epidural service, not an occasional one
    • Programmable epidural pumps with the bolus mode, and biomedical support for them
    • Round-the-clock anaesthesia cover for the labour room during enrolment

    What derails it

    Labour analgesia uptake is the binding constraint: in units where few women request an epidural, enrolment depends on antenatal counselling you will have to set up yourself, and a thesis should not rest on changing a hospital's practice pattern mid-course.

  • Topic 22 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Subarachnoid block versus general anaesthesia for hip fracture surgery in patients over sixty-five: perioperative course and early recovery

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Incidence of post-operative delirium assessed by a validated bedside instrument in the first three days
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40 to 55 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A hip fracture load in the elderly, with a named orthopaedic unit collaborating
    • Training in a delirium assessment tool for the residents who will apply it daily
    • Access to pre-operative cognitive baseline testing before surgery

    What derails it

    Allocation is often settled by the anaesthetist on the day for clinical reasons such as anticoagulation or an uncooperative patient, so unless your protocol states exactly who decides and on what criteria, the two arms will differ in baseline frailty and the comparison will be criticised for it.

  • Topic 23 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Thyromental height, upper lip bite test and modified Mallampati grade for prediction of difficult laryngoscopy in adults presenting for elective surgery

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity of each bedside test against Cormack-Lehane grade at direct laryngoscopy
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 250 to 400 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A pre-anaesthetic clinic where one examiner can apply all bedside tests uniformly
    • A scale or measuring device for thyromental height with a written technique
    • An intubating anaesthetist who grades the view without seeing the clinic measurements

    What derails it

    If the person who measured in clinic is also the person intubating, the reference standard is contaminated and the accuracy figures are worthless; you need the laryngoscopy grade recorded by someone blinded to the index tests, and that staffing arrangement must be agreed before enrolment.

  • Topic 24 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Ultrasonographic hyomental distance and anterior neck soft tissue thickness for prediction of difficult intubation

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for each ultrasound measure against laryngoscopic grade
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200 to 300 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Ultrasound with a linear probe accessible in the pre-operative area
    • A written, reproducible probe position and neck posture for every measurement
    • A blinded laryngoscopist grading the view

    What derails it

    Airway ultrasound measurements move several millimetres with small changes in head extension and probe pressure, so without a fixed patient posture and a documented intra-observer repeatability check your measurements will not survive a statistician's questions.

  • Topic 25 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Gastric antral cross-sectional area on ultrasound in patients presenting for emergency surgery after a stated fasting interval

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion with antral content suggesting a non-empty stomach, by a stated sonographic grading
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An ultrasound machine available in the emergency theatre area at all hours
    • A resident trained in the standard antral view in the right lateral and supine positions
    • An emergency surgical caseload with documented last oral intake

    What derails it

    Last oral intake in an emergency admission is whatever the attendant remembers, and it is frequently wrong by hours; record who gave the history and how certain it was, because an unreliable exposure variable is the flaw examiners will find first.

  • Topic 26 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Pre-operative anaemia and its correlates among adults scheduled for major elective surgery at a teaching hospital

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Haemoglobin concentration at the pre-anaesthetic visit, categorised by World Health Organization thresholds
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months of data collection
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 300 to 450 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A pre-anaesthetic clinic register that captures every patient booked for major surgery
    • Routine haemoglobin and red cell indices from the hospital laboratory
    • A short proforma for diet, menstrual and comorbidity variables

    What derails it

    Patients already optimised with iron or transfusion before they reach the clinic make the figure look better than the population is, so record whether any haematinic or transfusion preceded the sample and analyse those separately rather than quietly including them.

  • Topic 27 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Pre-operative anxiety and its determinants among adults awaiting elective surgery, assessed with a validated anxiety and information scale

    DesignCross-sectionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Pre-operative anxiety score on a validated instrument administered the evening before surgery
    Collection time
    6 to 8 months of data collection
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200 to 300 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A validated anxiety scale with permission for use and a local-language version
    • Ward access in the evening, when patients are available and unhurried
    • A stable elective booking list so that respondents are genuinely pre-operative

    What derails it

    Anxiety measured after the surgeon has already counselled the patient is a different quantity from anxiety measured before, so fix the time point relative to the consent discussion and record any premedication already given.

  • Topic 28 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Performance of a simplified risk score for predicting post-operative nausea and vomiting in adults receiving general anaesthesia

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Occurrence of nausea or vomiting in the first 24 hours, against the pre-operatively assigned risk category
    Collection time
    10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 250 to 400 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A general anaesthesia caseload across several surgical specialties
    • A ward follow-up schedule at fixed hours for 24 hours
    • A written, uniform antiemetic prophylaxis policy for the study period

    What derails it

    If each anaesthetist gives prophylaxis according to personal preference, the risk score is being tested against a treated population and its calibration cannot be interpreted; either standardise prophylaxis for the study period or record it precisely and analyse within strata.

  • Topic 29 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Clinical frailty at pre-anaesthetic assessment and post-operative course in patients above sixty-five undergoing major surgery

    DesignCohortFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Composite of post-operative complications by Clavien-Dindo grade within 30 days
    Collection time
    14 to 18 months including follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 150 to 250 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A validated frailty instrument applied by a trained assessor at the clinic
    • An agreed complication grading system and a surgical team willing to use it
    • A working 30-day follow-up route, telephone or review clinic

    What derails it

    The 30-day window is the hard part: elderly patients discharged to a village rarely return for review and their phones are answered by relatives, so plan two contact numbers at enrolment and accept that attrition must be built into the sample size.

  • Topic 30 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Factors associated with post-operative pulmonary complications after major abdominal surgery: a case-control study

    DesignCase-controlFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Odds of exposure to candidate perioperative factors in cases compared with matched controls
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months using records plus prospective identification
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 60 to 90 cases with one or two controls each, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A case definition for pulmonary complication agreed with the surgical and pulmonary units
    • Anaesthesia records complete enough to retrieve intraoperative ventilation variables
    • A documented matching rule for controls, by procedure and age band

    What derails it

    Controls drawn from the same surgical lists are easy to find but easy to criticise if the matching rule is written after the cases are collected; fix the matching variables and the source of controls in the protocol, and keep a log of controls rejected and why.

  • Topic 31 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Audit of unanticipated difficult airway events and their management in a teaching hospital over five years

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion of difficult airway events managed by each stated rescue technique
    Collection time
    5 to 7 months of record retrieval
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 300 to 600 anaesthesia records screened, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Anaesthesia records or a critical incident register retrievable for the full period
    • A written operational definition of a difficult airway event applied consistently
    • Ethics committee waiver of individual consent for record review

    What derails it

    Difficult airway events are precisely the ones least likely to be documented fully, because the person managing the crisis was not writing; expect a large share of records with missing grade or rescue detail and decide in advance whether those are excluded or reported as a category.

  • Topic 32 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Unplanned post-operative intensive care admission after elective surgery: incidence and associated perioperative factors over three years

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion of elective surgical patients requiring unplanned critical care admission within 24 hours
    Collection time
    5 to 6 months of record retrieval
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 1500 to 3000 elective cases screened, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Theatre and intensive care registers that can be matched patient by patient
    • An agreed definition of unplanned, distinguishing it from booked post-operative care
    • Ethics committee waiver of consent for record review

    What derails it

    When the intensive care unit is full, a patient who needed it is kept in recovery or a high dependency bed instead, so the register undercounts the event you are measuring; cross-check recovery room records for prolonged stays or your denominator and numerator will not match reality.

  • Topic 33 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Perioperative cardiac arrest in a tertiary teaching hospital: frequency, timing and immediate outcome over five years

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Frequency of perioperative cardiac arrest per ten thousand anaesthetics, with immediate survival
    Collection time
    6 to 8 months of record retrieval
    Sample, as a planning figure
    a complete count of the anaesthetics given in the stated period rather than a calculated sample; establish that denominator before you fix the period

    What your unit must already have

    • A complete anaesthetic case count for the whole period, to form the denominator
    • Resuscitation records or a mortality register that identifies intraoperative events
    • Institutional permission for what is, in effect, a clinical audit with publication intent

    What derails it

    The denominator is the difficult half: theatre registers, billing data and the anaesthesia day-book rarely agree on how many anaesthetics were given, so settle on one source, state it, and report how far the others differ.

  • Topic 34 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Comparison of a revised cardiac risk index and American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status for predicting major perioperative complications in non-cardiac surgery

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Discriminative performance of each score for a composite major complication within 30 days
    Collection time
    14 to 18 months including follow-up
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 250 to 400 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A pre-anaesthetic clinic that records the variables both scores need
    • A defined composite outcome with an adjudication rule
    • A 30-day follow-up mechanism

    What derails it

    Physical status grading varies between the residents and consultants who assign it, so unless one person re-grades every patient from the recorded clinical data your comparator score is measured with noise that flatters the other one.

  • Topic 35 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Ultrasound-guided versus landmark-guided internal jugular venous cannulation in adult surgical and critically ill patients

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Number of needle passes required for successful cannulation
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 40 to 55 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Ultrasound with a sterile probe cover supply budgeted for the study
    • A caseload requiring central venous access, typically theatre plus critical care
    • A consultant supervising and a written limit on attempts before crossover

    What derails it

    The ethics committee may take the view that landmark cannulation is no longer the standard of care when ultrasound is available, and will ask you to justify the comparator arm; anticipate that argument in the protocol with a defined crossover rule after a stated number of failed passes.

  • Topic 36 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Inferior vena cava collapsibility index for prediction of fluid responsiveness in spontaneously breathing patients with hypotension

    DesignDiagnostic accuracyFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Sensitivity and specificity against a stated rise in stroke volume or cardiac output after a fluid bolus
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80 to 120 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Ultrasound with a cardiac or curvilinear probe and an operator trained in the subcostal view
    • A reference method for stroke volume, whether echocardiographic or from a monitor
    • A critical care or emergency caseload with undifferentiated hypotension

    What derails it

    The reference standard is the weak point: without a reliable stroke volume measure you are comparing one ultrasound estimate against another made by the same person, and the ethics and methods committee will say so — confirm your echocardiographic or monitor-based reference is genuinely available before proposing this.

  • Topic 37 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Rapid shallow breathing index and other weaning indices for prediction of extubation failure in a mixed intensive care unit

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Extubation failure, defined as reintubation or non-invasive support within 48 hours
    Collection time
    12 to 15 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 150 extubations, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A ventilated caseload with a written weaning and spontaneous breathing trial protocol
    • Ventilator-derived measurements recorded at a fixed point in the trial
    • An agreed definition of extubation failure applied by someone other than the treating team

    What derails it

    If the treating team sees the index value, it influences the decision to extubate and the prediction becomes self-fulfilling; the measurement must be recorded and sealed by the investigator, and that has to be workable on a unit where the same residents do both jobs.

  • Topic 38 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Dexmedetomidine versus midazolam-based sedation for mechanically ventilated patients in a mixed intensive care unit

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityDemanding
    Primary outcome
    Proportion of assessment time spent within the target sedation range on a validated agitation-sedation scale
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An intensive care unit with a written sedation protocol and nurse-led scoring every few hours
    • Syringe pumps and a drug budget that covers the study arm for the full period
    • Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    Sedation depth in a unit with a high nurse-to-patient ratio is recorded at shift convenience rather than at protocol hours, and missing scores destroy a time-within-target outcome; audit how completely the scale is currently being filled before you build a thesis on it.

  • Topic 39 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Post-operative delirium after hip surgery in older adults: incidence, timing and associated perioperative factors

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Occurrence of delirium on twice-daily assessment with a validated bedside instrument for three days
    Collection time
    14 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 180 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Training in a bedside delirium instrument for everyone who will assess
    • A pre-operative cognitive baseline, since pre-existing impairment must be separated out
    • Orthopaedic ward co-operation for assessments at fixed times including evenings

    What derails it

    Delirium is fluctuating and mostly hypoactive, so once-daily morning rounds miss much of it; if you cannot staff an evening assessment every day, the incidence you report will be an undercount and the thesis will be judged on that.

  • Topic 40 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Persistent pain three months after breast or thoracic surgery: frequency and associated perioperative factors

    DesignCohortFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Presence of pain at the surgical site at three months, with a numerical rating and neuropathic screening score
    Collection time
    18 months including the three-month follow-up window
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 120 to 200 enrolled, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A surgical volume in breast or thoracic work sufficient to enrol monthly
    • A neuropathic pain screening questionnaire in the local language
    • A follow-up route that works by telephone, since many patients will not return

    What derails it

    The three-month assessment coincides with adjuvant chemotherapy or radiotherapy for many of these patients, and treatment-related pain will be reported as surgical pain unless you record oncological treatment at follow-up and separate it in the analysis.

  • Topic 41 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Compliance with enhanced recovery after surgery elements and length of stay after elective colorectal surgery

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Post-operative length of stay in days, against a compliance score for the stated care elements
    Collection time
    15 to 18 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 80 to 130 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A written list of care elements agreed jointly by surgery, anaesthesia and nursing
    • A colorectal or major elective abdominal caseload of at least two a week
    • A daily bedside data collection round, since compliance cannot be reconstructed later

    What derails it

    Length of stay in an Indian teaching hospital is decided as much by the availability of an attendant to take the patient home and by discharge paperwork as by recovery, so record the day the patient was declared fit separately from the day of actual discharge.

  • Topic 42 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Reasons for delayed discharge and unplanned overnight admission after day-care surgery under general anaesthesia

    DesignProspective observationalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion not discharged within the planned interval, with the recorded reason
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 200 to 300 overall, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A functioning day-care list with a written discharge criteria checklist
    • A recovery record that timestamps readiness and actual discharge
    • An agreed classification of delay reasons, fixed before collection starts

    What derails it

    A unit that admits a fair proportion of its day cases overnight by habit will show delays driven by theatre start times rather than by anaesthesia, so record the time the case actually began; otherwise your findings describe list management and not recovery.

  • Topic 43 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Attenuation of the haemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation: intravenous lignocaine versus esmolol versus fentanyl

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Maximum rise in mean arterial pressure from baseline within five minutes of intubation
    Collection time
    10 to 12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 30 to 40 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A monitor that records pressures at one-minute intervals and allows retrieval
    • A consistent induction sequence and a single laryngoscopist category
    • Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    Duration of laryngoscopy is itself a determinant of the pressor response, so a difficult view in one arm distorts the result; record laryngoscopy time for every case and state the exclusion rule for attempts beyond a set number of seconds.

  • Topic 44 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Tourniquet tolerance during upper limb surgery under supraclavicular brachial plexus block with and without intercostobrachial nerve supplementation

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityModerate
    Primary outcome
    Proportion requiring supplementary analgesia or conversion to general anaesthesia for tourniquet discomfort
    Collection time
    12 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 35 to 45 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • An orthopaedic upper limb list on which tourniquet pressure and inflation times are documented
    • Ultrasound and a consistent supraclavicular technique performed by one or two named operators
    • A written definition of conversion, a rescue sequence agreed with the surgeons, and Clinical Trials Registry of India registration before the first enrolment

    What derails it

    Tourniquet discomfort depends on inflation pressure and on how long the cuff stays up, and both are set by the surgeon rather than by you, so agree a standard inflation pressure with the unit and log the actual time for every case, or the arm that happens to get the longer cases will look worse for reasons unrelated to the block.

  • Topic 45 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Anaesthetic practice and immediate maternal outcomes in emergency caesarean section: a two-year record review

    DesignRetrospectiveFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Distribution of anaesthetic technique used, with recorded immediate maternal complications
    Collection time
    4 to 6 months of record retrieval
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 600 to 1200 records, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • Obstetric theatre records and anaesthesia charts retrievable for the full period
    • A decision-to-delivery interval documented, if that is among your variables
    • Ethics committee waiver of consent for record review

    What derails it

    Emergency caesarean charts are the least completely filled in the hospital, and the variable most often blank is exactly the one that matters, the grade of urgency; decide before you start whether an unrecorded category is excluded or analysed as unknown, and report how many fell there.

  • Topic 46 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Effect of a structured handover checklist on completeness of information transfer from theatre to the post-anaesthesia care unit

    DesignComparative interventionalFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    Proportion of predefined handover items communicated, scored by an independent observer
    Collection time
    8 to 10 months including the before and after phases
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 100 to 150 handovers per phase, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A recovery unit where an observer can stand through handovers without disrupting care
    • A checklist developed locally and agreed with nursing and anaesthesia staff
    • Departmental permission, since the intervention changes routine practice

    What derails it

    Once staff know an observer is scoring handovers they improve regardless of the checklist, so the before phase must be observed in the same overt way as the after phase; a covert baseline is both unworkable and ethically awkward, and an unobserved baseline taken from notes is not comparable.

  • Topic 47 / 47

    Link to this entry

    Ultrasound-guided versus palpation-guided radial artery cannulation in adults undergoing major surgery

    DesignRandomised controlledFeasibilityStraightforward
    Primary outcome
    First-attempt cannulation success
    Collection time
    10 months of enrolment
    Sample, as a planning figure
    roughly 45 to 60 per group, subject to a proper calculation

    What your unit must already have

    • A linear ultrasound probe with sterile covers available on the theatre floor
    • A caseload needing invasive pressure monitoring, typically major or cardiac-adjacent surgery
    • A defined operator experience level and a crossover rule after failed attempts

    What derails it

    Radial cannulation success depends heavily on the patient's pressure and vessel calibre at that moment, so a few shocked or vasoconstricted patients landing in one arm will swing a small trial; stratify or restrict enrolment to haemodynamically stable elective cases and say so.

The designs

What each design commits you to

The designs in this Anaesthesiology register

The design is not a label on the title; it decides your ethics route, your timetable and the test that answers your primary question. Only the designs that appear above are explained here.

  • Cross-sectional

    3 topics

    One contact per participant. Usually the quickest to complete, and the design most often chosen when time is short.

  • Prospective observational

    6 topics

    Participants are followed after enrolment without allocating an intervention. Ethics approval must precede the first enrolment.

  • Retrospective

    4 topics

    Existing records only. Faster, but limited by what was recorded, and a waiver of consent is normally sought from the ethics committee.

  • Comparative interventional

    4 topics

    Two or more arms compared. Ethics scrutiny is heavier, and the protocol must state how allocation is handled.

  • Randomised controlled

    24 topics

    Allocation is randomised. Prospective interventional studies are registered with the Clinical Trials Registry of India before the first participant is enrolled.

  • Diagnostic accuracy

    3 topics

    An index test measured against a reference standard. The sample size depends on the expected sensitivity or specificity and the prevalence in your setting.

  • Case-control

    1 topic

    Cases and controls compared for prior exposure. Control selection is where these are most often criticised.

  • Cohort

    2 topics

    A defined group followed over time. Attrition is the usual threat, so plan for it in the sample size.

What the feasibility mark means

A judgement about a typical teaching unit, not about yours. Confirm the volume, the equipment and the co-operation a topic needs before your synopsis goes in, because after that the timetable stops being negotiable[2].

  • Straightforward

    18 topics

    Achievable in most teaching units with routine caseload and no equipment beyond what is already in use.

  • Moderate

    24 topics

    Achievable, but needs either a specific piece of equipment, a collaborating department, or a caseload you should confirm before committing.

  • Demanding

    5 topics

    Only take this on if your unit already has the volume, the equipment and the co-operation it needs. Confirm all three before your synopsis goes in.

Next steps

Before you commit to one

What to do with a topic you like

Three steps, in this order. None of them is us: the first is arithmetic, the second is your guide, the third is a search only you can run.

  1. Do the arithmetic

    The figure on each plate is a planning range, not an answer. Put your own assumptions — the difference you would call clinically meaningful, the variability you expect, the power you want — into the free sample size calculator, then divide the result by the eligible patients your unit sees in a month and see whether the months you have left permit it.

  2. Take it to your guide

    Nothing on this page is approved by anybody. Your guide and your department decide what is feasible in your unit, and your ethics committee decides whether it may start — before the first participant, not before the analysis[5]. Where your university ordinance is stricter than anything here, the ordinance wins[1].

  3. Run the search yourself

    We make no claim that any question here is novel, under-studied or a gap, because that depends on a literature search run today in your own field. Read what the search returns before you write the introduction, and be ready to say why the question is worth asking in your setting.

What a thesis in this field has to satisfy — the obligations, the statistics and the questions residents ask first — is set out on the Anaesthesiology page. Other specialties are in the topic bank index, and the method is worked through in the guides.

Undertakings

Mechanisms, not promises

What protects your draft, and who owns the work

Each line below is a mechanism this platform implements or a published instrument it is built around. None of them is a guarantee, and we are affiliated with no regulator or university.

Protection of your work

  • Row-level security

    Every table enforces row-level access. You read your own record, and nothing else.

  • View-only streaming

    Drafts are streamed to you through an authenticated route, not handed over as a file.

  • Watermarked to you

    Every page you read carries your own name and email across it.

  • Download gated

    The final file unlocks when the fee is settled in full, and not before.

  • Mumbai region · DPDP 2023

    Your record and your documents are held in the Mumbai region, so India's Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 applies to them.

  • Anonymised data only

    We accept no patient identifiers. An NDA is available on request.

How this works

Instruments we work to

  • NMC PGMER-2023

    The thesis obligations set out in the postgraduate medical education regulations.

  • NBEMS

    DNB and DrNB protocol and thesis timelines, and the page limit, as published.

  • UGC 2018 · <10%

    The academic integrity convention we work to on every draft.

  • ICMJE · Vancouver

    Authorship criteria and reference style, applied as published.

  • No affiliation

    We work to these published instruments. We are affiliated to none of the bodies that issue them.

How this works

Authorship and the uniqueness check

  • Sole author

    Mentoring, editing, statistics and compliance. You remain the sole author of your thesis.

  • Not ghostwriting

    We will not write your thesis for you, and we will not be named in it.

  • MDSoftune

    Word-level uniqueness checking, built with REDENN Informatics Inc., Canada.

  • Every version

    Each draft is checked word by word before your university sees it.

How this works

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Document: Topic bank — Anaesthesiology · Revision 1 · Last reviewed

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