ANZCA National Anaesthesia Day 2022

The aim of this year's theme - Anaesthesia and children: Caring for your kids - is to help the community understand how anaesthetists keep young Australians and New Zealanders safe if they need a surgical procedure under anaesthetic.

If your child needs an anaesthetic, your anaesthetist will be with you every step of the way.

Fact sheets (English)

Click on the images below to download our anaesthesia and children fact sheets.

       

Pārongo tūroro (te Reo Māori)

      

Please note: This information is a guide and should not replace information supplied by your anaesthetist. If you have any questions about your anaesthesia, please speak with your treating specialist. ANZCA acknowledges the contribution of the Society for Paediatric Anaesthesia in New Zealand and Australia (SPANZA).

Did you know..?

Each year, more than four million Australians and New Zealanders will have an anaesthetic. In fact, most people will need the care of an anaesthetist at some stage in their lives – for pain relief during the birth of a baby, for a routine day-stay procedure or for a major operation requiring complex, split-second decisions that keep patients alive. But it's one of those things we don't really think about until we need it. To help you feel more relaxed about having surgery under anaesthesia, we've created a wide range of patient information.

About National Anaesthesia Day

An ANZCA initiative, National Anaesthesia Day is usually held each year on 16 October to mark the anniversary of the day in 1846 that ether anaesthesia was first demonstrated publicly. Due to 16 October falling over the weekend this year, we've decided to celebrate on Monday 17 October instead.