March 1995

What do Anesthesiologists Know About Medical Gas and Vacuum Systems?

March 10, 1995

Daily, anesthesiologists depend on their Medical Gas Vacuum System (or ‘MGVS’) to continuously deliver an adequate supply of ‘medical grade” gases for patient care. Because these systems seldom appear to...

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Simulator Conference in May

March 10, 1995

Signaling the significant growth of acceptance of anesthesia simulators as training and CME tools, a ‘Conference on Simulators in Anesthesiology Education’ is scheduled for May 12-14, 1995, in Rochester, NY,...

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Anesthesia Workstation Standards Studied

March 10, 1995

With the obvious patient safety implications firmly in the minds of meeting participants, standards for the U.S. ‘anesthesia workstation’ were the subject of a Nov. 17-18 meeting of the ASTM...

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From the Literature: Safety-Related Papers Summarized

March 10, 1995

A survey of the recent literature relevant to anesthesia safety yielded the following citations and brief descriptions: 1. Gerteis M. Edgman-Levitan S. Daley J, Delbanco TL (eds): Through the Patient’s...

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German Anesthesiologists Also Wrestle with Sux Indications

March 10, 1995

The recent controversy regarding succinylcholine and the remote possibility of hyperkalernia as a result of undiagnosed myopathy was fueled, in part, by German reports from Dr. Schulte-Sasse of succinylcholine-related cardiac...

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APSF Author Clarifies: Spinal Narcotics OK in OB

March 10, 1995

To the Editor It is the intent of this supplemental communication to clarify an issue raised in our previous Risk Management/QA program description that appeared in the Newsletter (Summer 1994,...

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“Art” of Anesthesia Requires Vigilance

March 10, 1995

To the Editor In response to the letter from C. Carl Bostek in the Winter APSF Newsletter, I must weigh in with an emphatic “NO!” to the practice of reading...

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Reading Belittles Anesthesiologists’ Efforts

March 10, 1995

To the Editor Regarding the letter in the Winter APSF Newsletter concerning reading in the OR, I feel that it is totally unacceptable for anesthesiologists to read in the OR...

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More “No’s” to Reading: Reading During Case Can Lead to Sub-optimal Care

March 10, 1995

To the Editor In response to the question, ‘Is it OK to read during OR cases?” My answer is “No!’ Having worked in university hospitals, university-affiliated hospitals, small community hospitals,...

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Moral Contract Outweighs Any Vigilance Debate

March 10, 1995

To the Editor I read with interest Lieutenant Colonel Bostek’s letter in the Winter 1994-95 issue of the APSF Newsletter. I concur with his feelings about reading in the operating...

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Vigilance, Not Reading, Prevents “Tube-Tech” Idea

March 10, 1995

To the Editor In response to the Letter to the Editor (‘Is It OK to Read During OR Cases?’) from the Winter 1994-95 APSF Newsletter, my answer is an unqualified...

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Pilots, Drivers Should Not Read, Nor Should We

March 10, 1995

To the Editor I am responding to the letter from Lt. Col. Bostek in the Winter APSF Newsletter regarding reading during cases. I would have to agree with most of...

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OR Reading Provokes Varied Views: Some Reading Defended as Means to Stay Sharp

March 10, 1995

To the Editor While I agree with Lt. Col. Bostek’s observation that ‘[reading] results in a lack of vigilance that could (my emphasis) lead to problems,’ I believe that reading...

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Surgeon Sees Widespread OR Reading

March 10, 1995

Editor’s Note: The following letter arrived via an unimpeachable source. The surgeon author requests anonymity out of concern for his relationships with his anesthesiology coworkers. After verification of the authenticity...

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To Read or Not to Read

March 10, 1995

To the Editor To read or not to read; that is the question! Several years ago, with a plethora of monitors to watch my patients for me during the longer...

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Unflagging Vigilance

March 10, 1995

To the Editor Every patient being monitored during surgery deserves unflagging vigilance by the anesthesia provider. Does any anesthesia training program teach otherwise? Cyrus B. Kapadia, M.D. Morristown, NJ

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Reading in OR Condemned but (?) Common

March 10, 1995

To the Editor Having taught and practiced anesthesiology for over 40 years, I agree completely with Col. Carl Bostek regarding reading during a case. Such a cavalier attitude as that...

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Question on Reading in OR Sparks Debate – APSF Newsletter Readers Give Record Response, Tend to Oppose Reading

March 10, 1995

To the Editor In response to ‘reading during OR cases,’ I would not consider-any reading during any case, even M.A.C., except to check a particular item in my ‘Handbook of...

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Succinylcholine Seen as Safest, Cheapest Relaxant, Much Better than IANDNMB’s

March 10, 1995

To The Editor The recommendation to limit intermediate-acting non-depolarizing neuromuscular blockers (IANDNMB’s) to rapid sequence when succinylcholine is contraindicated, or cases of 60-90 minutes or less, reported in an ASA...

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Parenteral Medication Recommendations to be Distributed

March 10, 1995

In recent years, there has been a trend toward increased use of intravenous anesthetic agents in the operating room and for sedation of ventilated patients in the intensive care unit....

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