Frequently asked questions

No. The calendar collects the details needed to assess the request, but there may be clashes or constraints that are not reflected in the booking calendar. All bookings need to be confirmed before they should be treated as accepted.

Both the booking calendar and the general enquiries form use an email verification step before the request is accepted. This confirms that the supplied address can receive replies and helps reduce spam. Repeated code requests or failed verification attempts may be temporarily blocked. Please do not use your personal email address for the booking calendar, as it will be used to send the booking confirmation and any follow-up messages.

The general enquiries form limits repeated verification-code requests, repeated failed code attempts, and repeated submissions from the same source. This protects the email system from abuse. If a legitimate request is blocked, wait for the displayed retry period or use the rooms contact details.

Bookings made through this website still need to be confirmed by email from the rooms. If you have not received a response within two business days, use the rooms contact details to follow up.

The availability can change frequently due to various factors. It is recommended to check the booking calendar regularly for the most up-to-date availability. If you have specific scheduling needs or questions about availability, please contact Dr Rawdanowicz to discuss your requirements and potential options.

Dr Rawdanowicz is a member of the Grey Street Anaesthetic Group, which has over 20 consultant anaesthetists as members. It may be possible to find an alternative anaesthetist to cover your requirement, or for Dr Rawdanowicz to rearrange his commitments. Please use the contacts page for these requests and specify the number of participants or operative cases that you need covered.

A completed contract must be in place for any research session booking. You need to provide the study ID, number of participants, and the contact details for the study coordinator. Make the booking through the calendar, verify the reply email address when prompted, and the booking confirmation will be sent to the email address provided in the booking form.

The study participation consent should have included information about the CSF collection procedure, and participants should be aware of the potential risks. They should also be informed about the need to lie flat for a period after the collection to minimize the risk of post-dural puncture headache—hence, they should be encouraged to go to the toilet just before the collection and have a book or other form of entertainment available. Participants should be encouraged to ask questions and seek clarification about any aspect of the procedure.

The collection space should be organized to facilitate efficient and safe CSF collection. Ensure that all necessary equipment is readily available, the area is clean, and there is adequate space for maintaining sterility during collection and participant movement in and out of the space. To this end, two empty bedspaces that can be cordoned off are recommended, ideally away from other participants.

The participants will be moved in and out of the collection area, so ensure that there is a clear path for this movement and that the CSF collection participants are not too far from the collection area, allowing them to be easily monitored. The collection area should be prepared in advance to minimize delays and ensure a smooth workflow during the session, with the first participant in the space for the scheduled start time.

The required equipment for a CSF collection session includes:

• A mobile regional anaesthesia trolley that can be used for sterile set-up
• A sterile regional anaesthesia tray
• A sterile gown and size 8 sterile latex-free gloves
• Antiseptic solutions: tinted alcoholic chlorhexidine solution and a backup alcoholic iodine solution in case the participant is allergic to chlorhexidine
• A fenestrated sterile sticky drape, if not already included in the regional anaesthesia tray
• Spinal needles (see the separate FAQ below)
• Miscellaneous disposable supplies such as sterile gauze, syringes, and saline
• Appropriate storage containers for the collected samples

Ensure that all equipment is readily available and the collection area is prepared for efficient and safe CSF collection.

The required spinal needles for a CSF collection session include:

• A 24G or 25G pencil-point 90 mm spinal needle with introducer (preferably Sprotte, although Whitacre is also acceptable) as the main collection needle
• A small number of long spinal needles (approximately 110 mm) for particularly large participants
• A small number of 18G/27G combined spinal–epidural (CSE) kits

Ensure that all needles are sterile, in date, and in the trolley at the collection site.

The required staffing for a CSF collection session includes:

• An anaesthesia or surgical nurse assistant to help with equipment and participant positioning, who must be trained in sterile equipment-handling techniques
• Another staff member to help with bed movements in and out of the collection area

After a CSF collection session, participants are generally required to lie flat as much as possible for a period of two hours to minimize the risk of post-dural puncture headache. They should be completely flat if possible and avoid sitting up or standing for extended periods, but brief trips to the toilet are allowed. Participants should be encouraged to rest and should prepare a book or other form of entertainment to keep them occupied during this time. They should also be advised to avoid strenuous activity for the remainder of the day and to report any symptoms such as headache, dizziness, or nausea to the study team.

Generally speaking, the minimum interval between CSF collections is about 20 minutes. This allows for the necessary preparation, collection, and post-collection participant movement in and out of the collection area.

Timepoints are the intervals between dosing and subsequent collections, expressed in hours. For example, a two-hour timepoint means the CSF collection is planned for two hours after dosing.

No. The scheduler runs in the browser. It does not send study IDs, participant IDs, timepoints, or generated schedules to Dr Rawdanowicz or to the website.

It is a convenience tool for drafting suggested dosing and collection schedules, then exporting them in useful formats. It does not replace protocol, ethics, site governance, or clinical review.

Yes. The planning tool supports exports such as CSV, plain text, Markdown, document-compatible HTML, and JSON so teams can use the draft schedule in their own workflow.

The scheduler will generate a schedule based on the start and finish times you provide, but you can adjust those times as needed to fit your specific requirements. The morning session generally needs to finish by 12:30 PM, and the afternoon session probably will not start before 1:30 PM. If you require any variations to the timing, please enter your requirements in the booking form. Any deviations will be subject to availability. The start of a morning session and the end of an afternoon session are very flexible and variations will most likely be acceptable to Dr Rawdanowicz.

The one-hour gap between sessions is designed to allow for necessary travel time between locations, as well as to provide a buffer for any unexpected delays or adjustments. If you book both morning and afternoon sessions, this break is not strictly necessary, but the scheduler inserts suggested breaks in order to allow for difficult collections that might run overtime.

Use the calendar page to request a session. The calendar collects booking-specific details, asks you to verify the reply email address, and emails the request directly for review.

No. Session requests should go through the booking calendar. Use the contact page for general enquiries or rooms contact details. The contact form also requires reply-email verification before it can be submitted.