September 2002

ICU Corner: Total Body Drape Believed to Reduce Infection

September 10, 2002

ICU Corner AHRQ The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) published the important evidence-based report “Making Health Care Safer: A Critical Analysis of Patient Safety Practices.”1 This review summarizes...

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FDA Encourages the Reporting of Medical Device Adverse Events: Free-Hosing Hazards

September 10, 2002

Healthcare professionals in the clinical setting are the link between warming blankets and desired patient outcomes. This article presents two events involving patient injury and the use of forced air...

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European Society Develops On-Line Help System

September 10, 2002

Anesthesiologists need and rely on a tremendous, and ever increasing amount of information to support informed, real-time decisions. Lack of sufficient knowledge about underlying medical conditions, drug dosages (a well...

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Computerized Anesthesia Record: Value Recognized, Terminology Scrutinized

September 10, 2002

To the Editor I am pleased to see the endorsement by the APSF of computerized records for anesthesia in the APSF Newsletter. As the second anesthesia organization to do so...

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Current System May Miss the “Mark”

September 10, 2002

To the Editor At our surgery facility the preoperative nurses routinely have the patient mark “No” on the non-operative side for procedures such as carpal tunnel releases, shoulder cases, and...

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Value of Pulse Oximetry Monitoring On the Ward Is Questioned

September 10, 2002

To the Editor Thank you for the special article, Sleep Apnea and Narcotic Postoperative Pain Medication: A Morbidity and Mortality Risk, in the APSF Newsletter.1 We anesthesia providers, it is...

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Creation of Observational Unit May Decrease Sleep Apnea Risk

September 10, 2002

To the Editor Dr. Lofsky has done the anesthesia community a significant and positive service by writing about the difficulties associated with the anesthetic management of 8 patients with obstructive...

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IV Connection to Tracheostomy Cuff Inflation Port Reflects Larger Problem

September 10, 2002

We recently learned about the unfortunate death of a patient whose IV tubing had been connected to his tracheostomy tube cuff inflation port. The patient had both a Shiley low-pressure...

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ACC/AHA Updates Preoperative Cardiac Guidelines

September 10, 2002

In 1996 the American College of Cardiology (ACC) and the American Heart Association (AHA) published the consensus opinion on guidelines for the perioperative evaluation of patients having noncardiac surgery.1 The...

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Portable Ultrasound Facilitates Central Vascular Access: A Case for Routine Use

September 10, 2002

In My Opinion During the 1999-2000 fiscal year, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) released a report entitled “To Err is Human” which essentially told us that the healthcare system in...

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APSF Endorses New Patient Safety Legislation

September 10, 2002

The Executive Committee of the APSF announces its endorsement of Senate Bill S2590 introduced by Senators Jeffords, Frist, Breaux, and Gregg. This bill is titled “Patient Safety and Quality Improvement...

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Safety Plays Key Role at 2002 ASA Meeting

September 10, 2002

Patient safety will again play a major role at the upcoming Annual Meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, which will be held in Orlando, Florida, October 12-16, 2002. The...

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June 2002

Modifications Recommended for Locked Carts

June 10, 2002

To the Editor I would like to respond to Daniel Yousif’s comments made in the winter 2001-2002 APSF Newsletter regarding the potential hazards of locked anesthesia carts. Our institution initiated...

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APSF Deserves Support

June 10, 2002

To the Editor As a member of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, I support the funding that the Society provides to the APSF. The APSF Newsletter provides me with valuable,...

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Advantages of Automated Anesthesia Record Prevail

June 10, 2002

To the Editor I read with interest the letter by Dr. Metz in the Winter 2001-2002 APSF Newsletter1 regarding the possible medicolegal liabilities of automated records. Unfortunately, he raises yet...

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Medical Student Offers Fresh Perspective

June 10, 2002

June 2001. I had made it. My first year of medical school was really over. I had many people to thank for what I had learned. There was “Frank,” my...

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Non-Invasive Ultrasound Monitoring May Assist Hemodynamic Management

June 10, 2002

Grocott and Gan have previously contributed an excellent and important article in this newsletter on goal-directed hemodynamic management for improving patient safety.1 Appropriate hemodynamic monitoring and assessment are fundamental keys...

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ASRA Consensus Conference Revisits Anticoagulation Issue

June 10, 2002

The new antiplatelet agents, ticlopidine (Ticlid®) and clopidogrel (Plavix®) affect the use and timing of central neuraxial regional techniques. Anesthesiologists are often faced with questions regarding the timing and risk/benefit...

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ACLS Changes Include Amiodarone, Vasopressin

June 10, 2002

The year 2000 saw the American Heart Association (AHA) publish new Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and Emergency Cardiovascular Care. These guidelines will form the basis of the Advanced Cardiac Life...

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Special Article: Sleep Apnea and Narcotic Postoperative Pain Medication: A Morbidity and Mortality Risk

June 10, 2002

Sleep apnea has long been a concern for anesthesiologists because of its association with difficult intubation and recovery room complications. Claim reviews at The Doctors Company (TDC) have revealed a...

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