Patient Safety Topics Abound at 2008 ASA Meeting

The 2008 American Society of Anesthesiologists annual meeting will be held in Orlando, FL, beginning on October 18, 2008. Safety related topics will be presented in a variety of formats, including refresher course lectures, poster sessions and discussions, breakfast panels and symposia. Highlights of these presentations are summarized in tabular form for reference and ease of use. Saturday’s refresher courses include Dr. Ehrenwerth presenting O.R. fires, Dr. Benumof reviewing the ASA Guidelines for patients with obstructive sleep apnea, and Dr. Palmer delivering obstetric emergencies. On Sunday, safety related refresher courses begin with discussing management of the difficult airway, followed by Dr. Rathmell presenting complications of pain management. Dr. Warner will also present the ever popular topic of perioperative positioning complications on Sunday afternoon. Monday refresher courses include discussion of dangerous drug interactions by Dr. Klock as well as the ramifications of morbid obesity by Dr. Ebert. On Tuesday Dr. Levy will gauge our reactions to anaphylaxis and adverse drug events and Dr. Crosby will address postoperative cognitive dysfunction. Tuesday afternoon brings us data from the closed claims registries including awareness, postoperative visual loss, and pediatric cardiac arrect, all moderated by Dr. Domino. Dr. Argalious will also follow up with PACU emergencies including their diagnosis and treatment. Finally, on Wednesday refresher courses conclude with sleep apnea in outpatient surgery, by Dr. Joshi, and awareness during general anesthesia, by Dr. Orser and Dr. Todd presenting management of the patient with cervical spine instability. Participants are encouraged to check out the numerous safety related abstracts and posters that will be presented throughout the ASA. Have a great meeting!

Date / Time	Location	Lecture Type	Topic: Speaker	Overview*
Friday 10/17
13:00 – 17:00	Rosen Centre Hotel 9840 International Blvd	APSF BOD Workshop	Medication Errors: J. Cooper, moderator	Discuss factors involved with medication errors and scope of injury with potential industry and hospital solutions for prevention.
Saturday 10/18
08:00 – 08:50	Rm W311 EF	RF	OR Fires: J. Ehrenwerth	Factors involved in OR fires and how to prevent and treat them.
08:00 – 09:30	Rm 230D	Poster Discussion	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Respiratory depression and monitors to prevent respiratory arrests. Factors influencing morbidity and mortality with emergency surgery and total knee and hip surgery.
09:00 – 11:00	Hall E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	OR efficiency; preoperative assessment; cost comparisons of TIVA vs. volatile anesthesia and target controlled infusions.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W315 AB	RF	The ASA OSA Guideline: J. Benumof	Discuss scope of problem with perioperative complications of OSA patients and the new ASA Guideline for OSA patients
13:00 – 13:50	Rm W315AB	RF	OB Emergencies: C. Palmer	Discuss anesthetic management of OB emergencies.
13:00 – 14:30	Rm 230C	Poster Discussion	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Factors affecting perioperative surgical infection and how to implement protocols; prevention of infection of i.v. tubing using TIVA.
14:00 – 16:00	Hall E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Patient complications and outcomes: MRI, regional anesthesia; peripheral nerve injuries; malignant hyperthermia.
14:10 – 15:00	Rm W311 AB	RF	New Drugs & Delivery Systems: E. Viscusi	Update on newer drugs and their delivery systems for pain management.
Sunday 10/19
07:00 – 08:15	Rosen Centre Hotel	Breakfast Panel	Critical Care in the PACU	ASCCA: Use of non-invasive respiratory support devices; beta blockade, and acute postoperative delirium.
08:00 – 08:50	Rm W311 AB	RF	Office Based Anesthesia: R. Twersky	Discussion of challenges in office-based anesthesia; outcomes; and how to prevent complications by appropriate patient selection and best anesthetic techniques.
08:00 – 08:50	Rm W31 GH	RF	Difficult Airway Management: C. Hagberg	Current techniques for safely intubating the difficult airway patient and optimal perioperative management.
08:00 – 09:30	Rm 230D	Poster Discussion	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Improving utilization and flow in the OR.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W311 CD	RF	Complications in Pain Medicine: J. Rathmell	Discuss problems and complications of managing pain patients and how to prevent them.
10:20 – 11:10	Rm W311 EF	RF	Pediatric Emergencies: A. Ross	Discuss anesthetic management of common pediatric anesthetic emergencies.
11:30 – 12:20	Rm W314 AB	RF	OB Anesthesia Problems: D. Chestnut	Discuss high acuity problems in OB anesthesia: diagnoses, management, and treatment; prevention of complications.
14:00 – 16:00	Hall E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Medication errors; resident education.
14:10 – 15:00	Rm W311 CD	RF	PALS 2008 Update: J. Deshpande	Discuss 2008 updates to pediatric advanced life support.
14:10 – 15:00	Rm W311 EF	RF	Anesthesia for Radiology Procedures: C. Scher	Discuss challenges of out of OR procedures in radiology— common complications and how to prevent them.
14:10 – 15:00	Rm W14 AB	RF	Pregnant Patient for Non-OB Surgery: J. Hawkins	Discuss optimal timing and management of anesthesia for the pregnant patient having non-OB surgery.
15:20 – 16:10	Rm W311 AB	RF	Neuroanesthesia Misconceptions: J. Drummond	Discuss misconceptions in neuroanesthesia, complications, and how to avoid them.
15:20 – 16:10	Rm W311 EF	RF	Positioning Problems: M. Warner	Perioperative complications associated with positioning: how to avoid them and how to work up and treat injuries.
Monday 10/20
07:00 – 08:15	Rosen Centre Hotel	Breakfast Panel	Ambulatory Patient Outcomes	SAMBA: Measuring and improving patient outcomes in the ambulatory setting.
07:00 – 08:15	Rosen Centre Hotel	Breakfast Panel	Perioperative Management of Heart Failure Patients	SCA: Discuss current prevalence, treatment, and best management of the patient with heart failure.
08:00 – 08:50	Rm W311 EF	RF	EBM and Perioperative Care: B. Fahy	Discuss how evidence-based medicine fits in to your perioperative care plan—how you can make a difference.
09:00 – 11:00	Hall E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Prediction of blood transfusion in major surgery; adherence to guidelines for cardiac assessment in non-cardiac surgery; difficult intubation.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W311 CD	RF	Drug Interactions: P. Klock	Discuss dangerous drug interactions in anesthesia and how to avoid them.
13:00 – 13:50	Rm W315 AB	RF	Morbid Obesity: T. Ebert	Discuss pathophysiology of morbid obesity associated illnesses, how it impacts your clinical care, and how to avoid complications.
14:00 – 16:00	Hal l E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Effects of drugs on end organ function; diagnosing allergies to medications.
Tuesday 10/21
08:00 – 08:50	Rm W314 AB	RF	Anaphylaxis & Adverse Drug Reactions: J Levy	How to rapidly diagnose and treat anaphylaxis and other adverse drug reactions.
08:00 – 11:00	Chapin Theatre	Journal Symposium	Diagnosis & Management of Difficult Airways and Sleep Apnea	Assessment, testing, perioperative management of sleep apnea patients and patients with difficult airways.
09:00 – 11:00	Hall E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Tobacco interventions by anesthesiologists; PONV; awareness.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W311 CD	RF	Postoperative Cognitive Dysfunction: G. Crosby	Discuss risk factors for postoperative cognitive dysfunction and issues surrounding definitions, testing, and control groups.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W314 AB	RF	Preoperative Assessment for the Cardiac Patient: L Fleisher	Update on the appropriate workup for cardiac patients and effect on outcome.
13:00 – 15:00	Rm W315 AB	RF	ASA Closed Claims Registries: K. Domino, moderator	Discuss findings from the various ASA Closed Claims registries including pediatric cardiac arrest, postoperative visual loss, and the new awareness registry.
14:10 – 15:00	Rm W311 EF	RF	PACU Emergencies: M. Argalious	Discuss common PACU emergencies, how to evaluate and diagnose problems, and avoid complications.
Wednesday 10/22
07:00 – 08:15	Rosen Centre Hotel	Breakfast Panel	Risk and the Pediatric Patient	SPA: How to recognize, assess, and manage the pediatric patient at high risk for anesthetic complications.
08:00 – 08:50	Rm W311 AB	RF	Sleep Apnea Patients for Outpatient Surgery: G. Joshi	Common problems associated with sleep apnea patients; how to minimize postoperative risks; and appropriate discharge criteria.
08:00 – 09:30	Rm 225B	Poster Discussion	Patient Safety: Practice Management	AIMS, Simulation, Video assessment of preoperative trauma care.
09:00 – 11:00	Hall E2	Poster Session	Patient Safety: Practice Management	Intubation techniques and devices for the difficult airway.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W311 AB	RF	Awareness with General Anesthesia: B. Orser	Discuss factors associated with awareness under general anesthesia, appropriate preventative strategies and treatment.
09:10 – 10:00	Rm W311 CD	RF	Cervical Spine Instability: M. Todd	Discuss the unstable cervical spine; cervical spine disease for surgery; and cervical spine motion with different intubation techniques.

*Overview provides partial list of posters in poster discussions and sessions; RF, refresher course.