What is it?
The Obstetric Quick Reference Handbook (Obs QRH) is a collection of action card guides for medical and resuscitation emergencies in hospitals. These guides are intended to help the multidisciplinary teams caring for birthing people and their babies. In a nutshell, the Obs QRH is made up of 20 clinical guides split into 4 sections: Cardiac arrest (1 guide), Maternal collapse / compromise (12 guides), Obstetric emergencies (5 guides) and Neonatal emergencies (2 guides). Additional to the clinical guides themselves, there are also useful sections on location of emergency kit and drugs, documentation suggestions and recommendations for debriefing.
How was the Obs QRH written?
The Obs QRH was written by a large working party, with representatives from all members of the obstetric multidisciplinary team. Representatives from the OAA, AoA, RCOA, BICS, BMFMS, MOMS, RCM, COPD, Resus council UK and BAPM were all integral to the work.
When writing the guides, it was essential that they were not only factually accurate but also easy to navigate in an emergency. The layout mirrors that used by the Association of Anaesthetists Quick Reference Handbook and the Resuscitation Council UK Quick Reference Handbook, allowing the reader to easily navigate the different quick reference guides. A familiar layout means one less thing to worry about in an emergency, when your bandwidth is already challenged! Numbered bullet points break up the text, making the guides easy to read and instructions are unambiguous. Consistent colour coding across all the quick reference handbook aids quick navigation around the guides.
How will the guides be used?
Creation of the guides is only the first stage of the journey! To embed these guides into clinical practice, local implementation plans are essential.
On the website is a guide to implementation. It may be that obstetric anaesthetists lead on implementation plans; as anaesthetists, we are all familiar with the AoA QRH that we use in theatres. We see the benefit of having these guides within arms reach when we encounter an emergency in theatres. The hope is that the Obs QRH becomes a continuation of what is already working well in our theatre environments. If it works in theatre, then surely it can work on our delivery suites too. Engagement with the wider multidisciplinary team is key. Other specialties including obstetric, midwifery and neonatal may not have experience with quick reference guides, as we do in anaesthetics, so don’t forget to engage with the whole team. Also remember, we care for birthing people in areas outside of obstetrics, for example in the emergency department or intensive care, so don’t forget to share the Obs QRH with colleagues and educators in these other areas.
We very much hope that you find the Obs QRH helpful. Print them, practice with them, share them!
If you have any comments or suggestions for future additions, please get in touch via secretariat@oaa-anaes.ac.uk
Dr Kirsty MacLennan
St Marys Hospital, Manchester
OAA EC member
