Anaesthetists get new guidelines for morbidly obese patients

The rising number of morbidly obese people in the UK population has prompted anaesthetists to write new guidelines for managing these higher risk patients, emphasising the need for training and suitable equipment.

In England nearly 3% of women and 1% of men are morbidly obese (with a body mass index (BMI) of >40), and well over a fifth of the population are obese (BMI >30), government figures show.

The new guidelines, issued by the Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland, say that each hospital should have a named …