Sri Lankan Journal of Anaesthesiology 17(2) : 61 – 64 (2009) IMPROVING THE KNOWLEDGE OF OPERATING THEATRE ASSISTANTS

Operating Theatre Assistants (OTAs) deliver assistance in anaesthesia, surgery and recovery of patients. They require an adequate knowledge and competent clinical skills. In Sri Lanka this category of assistants does not receive any special training. Method: Operating theatre assistants in two Teaching hospitals in Sri Lanka were evaluated using a questionnaire, which were designed to assess the knowledge of anaesthetic machine and safety features, circuits and gases used in anaesthetic practice, electrical devices and safety, knowledge of resuscitation and airway management and knowledge on vital signs and monitoring. Results: 1. < 80 % of required knowledge was evident in 94 % of people with a p value of <0.001 2. The knowledge on circuits and gases used in anaesthetic practice <80 % of knowledge was seen in 98 % with a significant difference of p < 0.001