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Hurricane Katrina
The APSF wishes to extend its concern, sympathy, and support for the victims of Hurricane Katrina. This disaster continues to affect citizens of Gulf Coast communities in a devastating way….
Articles
Complications of Cervical Epidural Blocks Attract Insurance Company Attention
Ann S. Lofsky, MDThe Doctors Company has noted an alarming incidence of major claims relating to cervical epidural steroid blocks. In fact, the number of claims for these blocks consistently exceeds the combined…
Insights from a Patient Safety Officer
Kenneth J. Abrams, MD, MBAThe Role Five years ago the safety officer was a member of the health care team with knowledge, expertise, and experience in fire and environmental safety. Today, that has changed…
DepoDur™: A New Drug Formulation With Unique Safety Considerations
Eugene R. Viscusi, MDDepoDur™ has recently been added to our choices for postoperative pain management following major surgery. DepoDur™ is an extended release formulation of morphine in a lyposomal carrier, specific for epidural…
RAPID Response to questions from readers
Dear SIRS Making a Difference
James F. Meyer, CRNARecently, I was about 15 minutes into a case with the patient on the ventilator, and several alarms went off, all of the lights on the ventilator lit up, and…
Letters to the Editor
System Fixes Needed to Prevent Drug Errors
Donald H. Lambert, PhD, MDTo the Editor The following are excerpts from the introduction to the series on patient safety that appeared in the New England Journal of Medicine.1 The central message of the…
Labor Epidural a Privilege?
Linda E Ferro, CRNATo the Editor I found it extremely disheartening to read Dr. Parker’s comments regarding the “privilege” of receiving a labor epidural. Since when is an epidural a privilege? If a…
Anesthesia May Predispose Patients to Corneal Abrasions
Celestine O. Okwuone, MDTo the Editor A newsletter dedicated entirely to patient safety is quite a commendable venture and being a regular reader, I wish to utilize this medium to remind the anesthesiology…
MRI Monitoring Done Within Room
Bernard C. DeLeo, MDTo the Editor It is interesting that 50% of the participants at a recent renowned anesthesia society refresher course stated that they monitored patients in an MRI scanner from the…
Radiation Therapy Removes Anesthesia Provider from the Treatment Room
Timothy W. Martin, MD, MBATo the Editor I am writing to comment on a letter which appeared in the Summer 2005 issue of the APSF Newsletter titled “Stand Nearby in the MRI” and the…
Where Do You Draw the Line?
Margaret D. Franchi, CRNA, MSTo the Editor After reading Dr. Lee’s “Letter to the Editor” in the APSF Newsletter, I felt compelled to write one myself. A few years ago I made a presentation…
Brain is Target Organ for Anesthesia
Barry L. Friedberg, MDTo the Editor The article “Down But Not Out; Doctors Disagree How to Best Keep Patients from Awakening during Surgery,” which recently appeared in the US News and World Report,…
Reader Weighs in on 3 Letters
Saundra E. Curry, MDTo the Editor Thank you for your very informative Summer 2005 issue. It brought a few points to mind. The letter “PCA Presents Serious Risks” recalled an incident in my…
Vigilance is Central
W. Sterrett Foster, MDTo the Editor It seems incredible to me that this debate over reading in the OR continues. The emergence of anesthesiology as a valid career choice for the better medical…
Stay Interested in Your Patient’s Care
Linda HobbsTo the Editor I would like to respond to the reader who has softened his view on reading in the OR. I am in total agreement that the image we…
Fatigue Has Been a Problem for Many Years – Time for a Change
Terring Heironithus III, MDTo the Editor Your article, “Fatigue and the Practice of Anesthesiology” is not only timely, but struck a personal note with me. As an intern at the University of Pittsburgh…
Announcements
Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Corporate Advisory Council
George A. Schapiro, Chair Abe Abramovich, Datascope Corporation Michael Argentieri, Dräger Medical, Inc. Paul A. Baumgart, GE Healthcare Casey D. Blitt, MD Judson Boothe, Kimberly-Clark Nassib G. Chamoun, Aspect Medical…
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Newsletter is the official publication of the nonprofit Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and is published quarterly at Wilmington, Delaware. Annual contributor status: Individual – $100.00, Corporate – $500.00. This and any additional contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible.
© Copyright, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, 2006.
The opinions expressed in this Newsletter are not necessarily those of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation or its members or board of directors. Validity of opinions presented, drug dosages, accuracy, and completeness of content are not guaranteed by the APSF.
APSF Executive Committee:
Robert K. Stoelting, MD, President; Jeffrey B. Cooper, PhD, Executive Vice President; George A. Schapiro, Executive Vice President; David M. Gaba, MD, Secretary; Casey D. Blitt, MD, Treasurer; Sorin J. Brull, MD; Robert A. Caplan, MD; Nassib G. Chamoun; Robert C. Morell, MD; Michael A. Olympio, MD; Richard C. Prielipp, MD.
Newsletter Editorial Board:
Robert C. Morell, MD, Editor; Sorin J. Brull, MD; Joan Christie, MD; Jan Ehrenwerth, MD; John H. Eichhorn, MD; Regina King; Lorri A. Lee, MD ; Rodney C. Lester, PhD, CRNA; Glenn S. Murphy, MD; Denise O’Brien, BSN, RN; Karen Posner, PhD; Keith Ruskin, MD; Wilson Somerville, PhD; Jeffery Vender, MD.