Ambulatory anaesthesia in the Netherlands: A survey of practise

We conducted a survey on anaesthesia practise for ambulatory surgery in The Netherlands with the purpose of identifying patterns and comparing them to published recommendations. Overall response rate was 69%. 97% of Dutch hospitals have ambulatory wards and 25% have dedicated operating rooms. Preoperative anxiolytic use is relatively high, approximately 40%. Prophylactic anti-emetic use is low, 33% for laparoscopic cholecystectomy, but a further 33% of patients require rescue treatment. Combination analgesic use is infrequent, with just one analgesic being used in more than 50% of patients. There is a strong preference for both locoregional, 85% for upper limb surgery, and neuroaxial techniques, 65% for lower limb surgery. However, use of continuous peripheral nerve block catheters for pain control following discharge is limited. We conclude that closer adherence to guidelines on PONV prophylaxis and greater use of multimodal approaches to pain management would be beneficial.