Anaesthesia (journal)

Anaesthesia (journal)
Title	Anaesthesia
Discipline	Anaesthesiology
Abbreviation	Anaesthesia
Editor	Richard Riley
Publisher	Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the Royal College of Anaesthetists
Country	United Kingdom
History	1946–present
Frequency	Monthly
Impact	8.0
Impact-year	2023
Issn	0003-2409
Eissn	1365-2044

Anaesthesia (journal) is a peer-reviewed medical journal covering clinical practice, research, and education in anaesthesiology, perioperative medicine, pain management, and critical care. It is published monthly and serves as an international forum for clinicians and researchers associated with institutions such as the Royal College of Anaesthetists, the Association of Anaesthetists, and university departments across Europe, North America, and Asia. The journal publishes original research, reviews, editorials, guidelines, and correspondence that influence practice in hospitals, medical schools, and professional societies.

History

Founded in 1946 in the aftermath of World War II, the journal was established during a period that involved institutions such as the Royal College of Surgeons and medical units linked to the National Health Service. Early editors collaborated with figures associated with King's College London, University of Oxford, University of Edinburgh, and St Thomas' Hospital to consolidate anaesthetic practice. Through the decades the journal reflected advances tied to innovations from laboratories at Harvard Medical School, Johns Hopkins Hospital, and Guy's Hospital, and incorporated work influenced by international conferences such as the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists and meetings of the European Society of Anaesthesiology. Milestones include editorial special issues coinciding with events like the Nuremberg Trials-era discussions on human research ethics and the rise of subspecialties following developments at Massachusetts General Hospital and Mayo Clinic.

Scope and Content

The journal's remit spans perioperative medicine intersecting with departments at Imperial College London, University College London, University of Cambridge, and specialty centres such as Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and Addenbrooke's Hospital. Articles address clinical topics related to airway management, regional anaesthesia, haemodynamics, pharmacology derived from research at Karolinska Institute and University of Zurich, and outcomes research influenced by datasets maintained by agencies like the National Institute for Health and Care Research and the National Institutes of Health. Content includes randomized controlled trials, meta-analyses tied to bodies such as the Cochrane Collaboration, guidelines produced in collaboration with organizations like the World Health Organization, and educational resources used in training programmes at Royal College of Anaesthetists and European Board of Anaesthesiology.

Editorial and Publication Details

The editorial office is linked to professional institutions including the Royal College of Anaesthetists and Wiley-Blackwell, with editorial boards drawing experts from Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford University Hospitals, John Radcliffe Hospital, and international centres like Toronto General Hospital and The Johns Hopkins Hospital. The editor-in-chief collaborates with associate editors representing subspecialties affiliated with European Society of Regional Anaesthesia, American Society of Anesthesiologists, and academic departments at McMaster University and University of Melbourne. Peer review follows models used by journals such as The Lancet, British Medical Journal, and Anesthesiology. The journal adheres to publication ethics promoted by organizations like the Committee on Publication Ethics.

Abstracting and Indexing

Anaesthesia is indexed in major bibliographic databases and services including Index Medicus, MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. Abstracting services used by institutional libraries at Wellcome Trust, National Institutes of Health, and university systems such as University of Toronto Libraries and Bodleian Libraries ensure discoverability. Citation metrics reported by providers like Clarivate Analytics and Elsevier inform impact assessments, while repositories such as PubMed Central and institutional archives at King's College London host selected open-access content.

Impact and Reception

The journal has influenced clinical guidelines adopted by hospitals including St Bartholomew's Hospital and national agencies such as NHS England and regulatory bodies comparable to the National Health Service. Its articles are frequently cited alongside work appearing in The Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA. Recognition includes papers that have informed practice in areas developed at Guy's Hospital, Addenbrooke's Hospital, and centres of excellence like Cleveland Clinic and Mayo Clinic. Debates arising from its editorials have intersected with policy discussions involving World Health Organization patient-safety initiatives and professional standards set by societies such as the American Society of Anesthesiologists.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Noteworthy publications include landmark randomized trials and systematic reviews that paralleled research from Harvard Medical School, Karolinska Institute, and Universidade de São Paulo. Special issues have commemorated events tied to the World Congress of Anaesthesiologists, anniversaries of the Royal College of Anaesthetists, and thematic collections on topics developed at centres like University of California, San Francisco and Stanford University Medical Center. Influential reviews on regional anaesthesia and perioperative outcomes have been cited in guidelines from the European Society of Anaesthesiology and used in curricula at Royal College of Anaesthetists training programmes.

Sponsorship and Affiliations

The journal is published on behalf of the Royal College of Anaesthetists and maintains affiliations with professional bodies including the Association of Anaesthetists and the European Society of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care. It receives support—editorial and logistical—from publishers like Wiley-Blackwell and collaborates with funding and policy organizations such as the National Institute for Health and Care Research, Wellcome Trust, and charitable foundations connected to academic centres like University of Oxford and University of Edinburgh.

Category:Anesthesiology journals