A comparison of general anaesthesia versus regional anaesthesia for Caesarean section reveals that both techniques are safe. Spinal anaesthesia is associated with significantly less blood loss, fewer transfusions, better Apgar scores and with insignificant trends toward shorter hospital stay, fewer neonatal care unit admissions, fewer perinatal deaths but more frequent postoperative infection.

Transrectal ultrasound guided prostate biopsies are routinely performed by most urologists. In this trial, the efficacy of the administration of lidocaine gel intrarectally and the lidocaine periprostatic infiltration are compared for this procedure. Rectal administration of lidocaine gel is safe, simple and effective.

In 1996, more than 90% of the Caesarean sections at the University Hospital of the West Indies, Kingston, Jamaica, were being done under general anaesthesia. By 2001, more than 80% of the Caesarean sections were done under spinal anaesthesia.