September 2006

Lessons Learned from an Operating Room Emergency Evacuation Drill

September 10, 2006

Section of Pediatric Anesthesia and Operating Room Nursing Division, Riley Hospital for Children, 702 Barnhill Drive. Indianapolis, IN 46202 The emergency evacuation of an operating room may be required in...

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Challenges Ahead in Technology Training: A Report on the Training Initiative of the Committee on Technology

September 10, 2006

Introduction The most effective method of introducing new anesthesia equipment into the operating room has not been thoroughly investigated, despite recent and dramatic increases in complexity of these new machines....

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2006 ASA Preview – Safety Topics Abound

September 10, 2006

The 2006 Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists will be held at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois, from Saturday, October 14, 2006, through Wednesday, October 18, 2006. Patient...

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June 2006

ICU Patients Need Careful Monitoring in the MRI

June 10, 2006

To the Editor Dr. Flowerdew’s recent letter regarding physical presence during the administration of anesthesia appropriately addresses the issues involved in radiation therapy patients and also recognizes the need for...

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Reader Seeks Balance in Disclosure Requirements

June 10, 2006

To the Editor I was deeply troubled by the “Adverse Events Require Communication and Disclosure” article in the Spring Newsletter. I am, like many other physicians, extremely conscientious about patient...

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Determination of Physician Competency is Complex

June 10, 2006

To the Editor I read with interest the unfortunate circumstances surrounding the anesthetic mishaps recounted in a recent issue of the APSF Newsletter (20(4):61–68), and the equally disastrous ways the...

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Readers Sponsor Successful Legislation

June 10, 2006

To the Editor I could not agree more with the article in the Spring 2006 APSF Newsletter entitled “Adverse Events Require Communication and Disclosure.”1 As a current applicant to Indiana...

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FDA and NIOSH Issue Warning About Oxygen Regulator Fires and Incorrect Use of Seals

June 10, 2006

The following report was issued on April 24, 2006, to warn providers of fires that may occur at the interface of oxygen regulators and cylinder valves resulting from the incorrect...

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Malignant Hyperthermia Death Holds Many Lessons

June 10, 2006

The death of a young, vigorous, healthy individual during routine surgery is an emotionally devastating event. The family and friends of the person are shocked, angry, depressed, beset by guilt,...

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How to Dispose of Waste Anesthesia Agent

June 10, 2006

Numerous questions to the Committee on Technology are individually and quickly answered each quarter by knowledgeable committee members. Many of those responses would be of value to the general readership,...

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Vaporizer Draining Intervals

June 10, 2006

Numerous questions to the Committee on Technology are individually and quickly answered each quarter by knowledgeable committee members. Many of those responses would be of value to the general readership,...

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Line Isolation Still Important

June 10, 2006

Has there been a change in the recommended use of line isolation monitors? We had an alarm today and we were told by our engineering department to essentially ignore it,...

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SOAP Panel Advocates Team Training in Obstetrics

June 10, 2006

The idea that medical errors and the adverse events they cause are major public health concerns is not likely to be news to readers of this Newsletter. It has been...

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ASA Publishes Practice Advisory for Perioperative Visual Loss Associated with Spine Surgery

June 10, 2006

The American Society of Anesthesiologists has published a recent Practice Advisory pertaining to postoperative visual loss associated with spinal surgery. The purpose of the advisory is to increase awareness of...

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Perioperative Hyperglycemia Raises Risks

June 10, 2006

Inflammation/Hormones Increase Adverse Outcomes Hyperglycemia and glucose intolerance are common manifestations of perioperative stress in many hospitalized patients. Diabetic patients have more frequent, more prolonged, and more expensive hospital admissions...

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March 2006

Radiation Prevents Presence in Room

March 10, 2006

To the Editor The issue of an anesthesiologist’s physical presence, or lack of, in the radiology suite raised by Timothy W. Martin is addressed by the ASA’s “Standard for Basic...

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Supplemental Oxygen is Appropriate

March 10, 2006

To the Editor The recent letter to the editor by Drs. Stemp and Ramsay (Winter 2005-2006, page 80) sought to highlight how the administration of supplemental oxygen might mask the...

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Prevention of Perioperative Hypothermia Remains Problematic

March 10, 2006

To the Editor The battle to prevent perioperative hypothermia is a battle that anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists lose all too often. It is bad enough that the realities of human...

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Residency Programs Need To Emphasize Dialogue Skills

March 10, 2006

To the Editor For those of us involved in residency education, the article in the Winter 2005–2006 issue of the APSF Newsletter entitled “Patient Perspectives Personalize Patient Safety”1 should serve...

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The Relevance of Black Box Warnings

March 10, 2006

The black box warning placed on droperidol in 2001 reminded clinicians in the perioperative setting of the impact new labeling could have on healthcare facilities, practitioners, patients, and manufacturers. Information...

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