BJA Education Podcasts

In the April 2026 episode of the BJA Education, Pooja Shah speaks to Lauren Crosby Zawierucha about liver disease in pregnancy. The episode features common and life-threatening liver diseases in pregnancy as well as those which have implications for anaesthesia and anaesthetists. We discuss key clinical considerations and practical insights to support safe care for mother and baby.Related Article

In this podcast Stuart talks to Dr John Summers and Dr Tom Lawerence about their recent article on anaesthesia for elective cervical spine surgery.Related Article

This month Sam Fosker speaks to Dr Victoria Prabhu about her article, co-authored with Dr Julia Niewiarowski and Dr Paolo Polzella, on "Perioperative care of patients who decline blood products". They discus how to differentiate between different blood products, how to document this appropriately and ways we can mitigate blood loss in these patients. Related Article

This month Alex speaks to Dr Almay Janszen and Dr David van Meenen about the recent article on perioperative ventilation practices in children.Related Article

In this month’s BJA Education podcast series, Pooja Shah speaks with Cillian Suiter about the key themes from the December 2025 Advances in Spinal Cord Stimulation article, with a primary focus on the role of spinal cord stimulation in pain management. The discussion explores issues most relevant to pain physicians, while also highlighting considerations for anaesthetists involved in the care of these patients, including regional anaesthesia planning and MRI conditionality.Related Article

In this podcast Stuart talks to Dr Joe Wild about his recent article on anaesthesia for non-cardiac surgery in patients with adult congenital heart disease. Related Article

This month Sam speaks to Associate Professor Vincenzo Russotto about his article on airway management within a critical care setting. This article, co-authored with Associate Professor Massimiliano Sorbello, looks at how we assess airways both from the anatomical perspective but also a physiological view. It looks at recent evidence where the challenges lie and how we can best monitor and pre-optimise these patients during intubation to achieve the best outcome. Related Article

This month Sam speaks to Dr Hanna van Waart and Dr Marta Seretny about what we mean by prehabilitation and how this applies within different cancer populations. They discuss the holistic nature of prehabilitation and how increasing evidence is showing a wide range of benefits even when the intervention time is short. Related Article

In this podcast, Pooja Shah speaks to Jun Hiu and Caroline Larkin about the management of intracranial aneurysms, drawing on key insights from the August 2025 article in BJA Education. The discussion explores management techniques, perioperative considerations, and anaesthetic strategies in both elective and emergency settings. With a focus on multidisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based practice, this episode offers a comprehensive overview for anaesthetists involved in the care of patients with intracranial aneurysms. Read related article.

This month Alex speaks to Dr Alex James about the recent two articles on anaesthesia for pancreatic resection surgeryAnaesthesia for pancreatic resection surgery: part 1Anaesthesia for pancreatic resection surgery: part 2 

In this Podcast Stuart talks to Professor Anthony Kovac about his recent article on the Pathophysiology and Risk Factors for Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting in Adults and Children. Related Article

This month Stuart talks to Dr Naveen Canchi-Murali about his recent article on Perioperative management of Tracheo-Oesophageal Fistula (TOF) and Oesophageal Atresia (OA) .Related Article

This month Alex speaks to Dr Jo Gordon and Dr James Shilston about their recent two articles on the early intensive care management of major trauma in adults.Related Articles:Early intensive care management of major trauma in adults; part 1Early intensive care management of major trauma in adults; part 2

This month Stuart talks to Dr Craig Lyons about his recent article on Jet Ventilation.Related Article.

This month, Sam speaks to Dr Luke Edwards, Dr Jo Organ and Ms Kate Hancorn, anaesthetic and surgical representatives from The Royal London Hospital about their article, co-authored with Dr Tim Egan, on The Anaesthetic Management of Abdominal Trauma. From the front door to the operating theatre we explore what we can do to optimise the patient and make the correct decisions at each point in the patient's journey. Related Article

This month Stuart talks to Dr James Conwell about his recent article on pharmacological agents in the management of obstetric haemorrhage.Related article

In this podcast, Pooja Shah speaks to Prof Dolores Njoku and Dr Jessica Bauerle on the perioperative management of children with congenital heart disease undergoing non-cardiac surgery, an article from the December 2024 issue. They cover the relevant anatomy and physiology as well as practical tips on the successful management of this complex cohort of patients.Related Article

This month Alex speaks to Dr Craig Smith about their recent article on placental abruption.Related Article

In this episode, join Pooja Shah as she delves into the intricacies of perioperative management of diabetes mellitus with experts Jorinde Polderman and Abraham Hulst building on insights from their article published in August 2024. We explore the latest insights on GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT2 inhibitors, and their optimal use in the perioperative setting, along with other essential strategies and considerations for managing diabetes around surgery. Tune in for a deep dive into practical approaches and expert advice on navigating these critical challenges in patient care.Related Article

Join Pooja Shah as she speaks to Dr Jim Bamber and Dr Pervez Sultan about the changes in maternal mortality rates, how AI may influence these rates in the future and how to measure quality in obstetric anaesthesia.Measuring quality in obstetric anaesthesia 

This month Alex speaks to Dr Steve Philpot about their recent article on open disclosure.Related Article

This month Stuart talks to Dr Sean Hartigan and Dr Bill Walsh about their recent article on the perioperative management of patients with spina bifida. Related Article

This month Sam talks to Dr Catalina Stendall for the second part of Anaesthesia for paediatric neurosurgery. They discuss more specifics on the intra-operative management of paediatric neurosurgery and the post-operative period. They also discuss paediatric head injury and the safe management and transfer of these patients.Related Article

This month Sam talks to Dr Catalina Stendall about her article on anaesthesia for paediatric neurosurgery, co-authored by Dr Laura Bowes and Dr Ed Carver. They cover neurophysiology in paediatrics and how we assess, stabilise and anaesthetise paediatric neurosurgical patients. Look out for next month's episode where they will cover the second article in the series. Related article

In this podcast Pooja discusses left ventricular assist devices with Dr Sara Allen. The podcast focuses on patients with these devices undergoing non-cardiac surgery. Dr Allen provides a brief overview of the workings of the pump and also describes the perioperative considerations for these patients.Related Article

In this month's edition, Pooja speaks with Mike Gillham and Tom Barr regarding their article titled 'Temporary Epicardial Pacing After Cardiac Surgery.' They delve into the importance and procedural aspects of performing pacing checks both during surgery and in the postoperative phase. Additionally, they explore the intricacies of caring for patients within this particular group.Related Article

In this month's podcast, Sam talks to Siri van der Meijden about the current uses of AI and machine learning in perioperative care. They discuss the challenges clinicians may face and ways to assess whether an AI model fits for different populations. Related Article

Dr Bruce Cartwright discusses the challenges of anticoagulating patients with pre-existing abnormalities of coagulation who require CPB.

Dr Bruce Cartwright talks us through the use of heparin and its alternatives for anticoagulating patients undergoing CPB. Read Associated Article

Anthony speaks to Prof. Hamilton about the use of regional anaesthesia for awake breast surgery. Find out the indications, the important points in communication with patients, and the conduct of this type of anaesthesia.Related Article

Delve into this podcast to hear Pooja Shah speak to Dr Earlene Silvapulle, author of two articles on 'Preassessment of functional capacity' in the July and August 2022 BJA Education articles. The podcast covers some aspects of both subjective and objective methods of assessment of functional capacity and offers listeners an overview of the articles.

Professor Jonathan Thompson talks about the recent, and coming changes within BJA Education which prompted our most recent editorial, "Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose". 

In this month's podcast, Riaz Aziz talks to the authors of the July 2022 article on anaesthesia considerations and anticoagulation in pregnant patients with mechanical heart valves. We are joined by Dr Bhatia, an anaesthetist, Dr D’Souza, an obstetrician and Dr Shehata, a haematologist, in this fascinating podcast on the challenges faced when caring for this patient cohort.

In this month's podcast Dr Ricky Bell, consultant in renal medicine and intensive care medicine, talks us through the commonly used diuretics, and the practicalities of their use within critical care.Read associated article here https://www.bjaed.org/article/S2058-5349(22)00033-6/fulltext

In this podcast, Dr Agnes Watson and Dr Claire McCann talk us through the epidemiology, pathophysiology and initial management of Major Burns. This is the first article of a 2 part Burns series in the BJA Education and provides the essential information for initial management.Major burns: Part 1. Epidemiology, pathophysiology and initial management

In this month's podcast Anthony speaks with Dr Jonathan Aron about the use of echocardiography in the management of patients with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit. They discuss the typical cardiovascular journey of these patients, and how echocardiography can help support individualised care to improve outcomes.

In this podcast, Riaz Aziz talks to Dr Vikki Mitchell from University College London Hospital ( UCLH) about extubation practices. Dr Mitchell co-authored the DAS guidelines on extubation and has extensive experience as an airway anaesthetist. In this podcast, we run through the DAS guidelines and explore various extubation techniques.

In the November 2021 podcast, Pooja Shah speaks to Dr Simon Howell about this month’s BJA Education Editor’s choice article: Preoperative hypertension: perioperative implications and management. We discuss the latest guidelines and evidence and how to tackle the perennial question of whether or not to cancel surgery for a patient whose preoperative blood pressure is > 180/110 mmHg.

In October's podcast Anthony Wynn-Hebden talks with Dr Simon Denning about anaesthesia for cleft lip and palate surgery, common associated conditions, and postoperative airway management.

In this month’s podcast Riaz Aziz talks to Dr James Shilston and Mr Anthony Simons about their September 2021 article on neck trauma. We get an anaesthetist and ENT surgeons’ perspective on management of such injuries and useful practical advice on how to manage such injuries outside specialised trauma centres.

This month, Pooja Shah talks to Dr Dale Gardiner about fundamental ethical and legal rules for deceased organ donation, based on the article published in the August 2021 edition of the BJAEducation. Hear Dr Gardiner explain what the two rules; in short, the ‘dead donor rule’ and the ‘consenting donor rule’ mean and what the reasoning for these rules are.

In this month's podcast Anthony speaks with Professor Brendan McGrath and Sarah Wallace OBE about their article on tracheal complications. Hear about the risk factors, common presenting features, and optimal multidisciplinary management of these problems, which often present in patients who are admitted to intensive care.

In this month’s podcast Riaz Aziz talks to Dr Michael Charlesworth about advances in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI). They talk about the changing landscape in the patient selection for TAVI and the evidence driving this. They also explore the investigations modalities available in the diagnosis and risk stratification of these patient and the role of the anaesthetist during the procedure.

In this month's podcast Anthony talks with Dr Cindy Kim about accidental awareness under anaesthesia. They discuss risk factors, presentation after surgery with stress disorders, and management from the time of surgery through to outpatient care.

In the March 2021 BJA Education podcast, Pooja Shah speaks to Dr Carroll and Dr Young about intraoperative cell salvage. We talk about what intraoperative cell salvage is and who it can benefit, including populations previously thought to be ineligible for it. Importantly, we also discuss the logistics around cell salvage including how the anaesthetist can direct creation of a service. Blood products' supply in the country is at an all-time low; it is time we started re-thinking and re-defining our perioperative blood management strategies.

In this month’s Podcast Riaz Aziz talks to Professor Badminton, Dr Schulenburg-Brand and Dr Wilson-Baig about Acute Hepatic Porphyria (AHP). They talk about the epidemiology of AHP and the peri-operative management of such patients. We learn about the excellent National Acute Porphyria Service (NAPS) which is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week for expert advice.

Anthony Wynn-Hebden talks with Dr Batuwitage and Prof. Charters about the role of imaging in head and neck cancers, how to interpret different types of scans, and the role of imaging in emergency airway management.

Riaz Aziz talks to Drs Okonkwo and Fernandez and Ms Cochrane from Great Ormond street Hospital for children about the management of a tracheotomy in a child. We talk about the pre anaesthetic  assessment for patients with a current tracheostomy or those that may have had one in the past. We explore what to do in an emergency and discuss the EXIST procedure.

Riaz Aziz talks to Dr McCombe and Bogod about the legal aspect of paediatric consent. We explore important legal cases that have shaped the landscape in paediatric consent. We also touch on the key issues with Gillick competence and how this impacts on our practice as anaesthetist. 

Riaz Aziz talks to Professor Gareth Auckland from Queen Marys university about his November 2020 article ‘Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers’ We talk about their use in the perioperative setting, the current evidence and cardiac dysfunction post operatively.