New Jersey Enacts Anesthesia Standards
Ervin Moss, M.D.The publication on February 21, 1989 of Anesthesia Standards as New Jersey state regulations was the culmination of efforts on the part of the New Jersey State Society of Anesthesiologists…
Articles
Old Anesthesia Equipment Target of Study, Panel; ASA Policy Recommended
David E. Lees, M.D.Concern over aging and possibly “obsolete” anesthesia equipment, particularly gas delivery machines, has been growing in the anesthesia community and has prompted discussion, study, and action. Parallels to the aviation…
Special Article: A Safety Tutorial?
E.S. Siker, M.D.In a recent television commercial, a well know CEO of a major auto manufacturer stated, “Safety is a customer’s right.” Can this be any less true for a patient about…
URI and Perioperative Desaturation in Children
E.K. Betts, M.D.; B.E. Miller, M.D.; J.J. Jorgenson, B.S.; C.L. Tiffany, R.N.; L.L. Kay, M.D.; M.S. Schreiner, M.D.Editor’s Note: Dr. Betts was a recipient of an APSF Research Grant. He gives here a preliminary report on a portion of his work. The optimal timing for anesthesia and…
Safety and the Study of Anesthesia Incidents; Where Are We Now An Australian Perspective
John Williamson, EEA.R.A.C.S.Following Flanagan’s pioneer work (stimulated by the ideas of Galton) with the application of his “critical incident” analysis (1), Cooper and colleagues in 197S(2) were the first to expose anesthesia…
The Society for Technology in Anesthesia
N. Ty Smith, M.D.In the last APSF Newsletter and in the April issue of the journal of Clinical Monitoring (page 148), we described the origin and background of the Society for Technology in…
FDA Study Organized to Validate Pre-Operative Checkout Recommendations
Mollyann G. March, M.D.; Jay CrowleyThe failure to perform a thorough pre-use check of the anesthesia equipment has been cited as the most frequently noted single factor associated with intra-operative anesthesia critical incidents(1,2). The consistent,…
Editorial
Teaching Safety While in Touch with the Patient
E.C. Pierce, M.D.In the last several years, anesthesia resident training programs have begun to examine their responsibility for teaching patient safety, risk management, and quality assurance. In fact, at the 1987 ASA…
Letters to the Editor
Retirees as ‘Assistants’?
Robert A. Beanan, M.D.To the Editor “Anesthesia Assistants: A Timely Idea for Safety” in the September issue particularly interested me. I am 74 years old and have been retired for four years. I…
Is Extra Person Free in O.R. a Standard of Care?
Richard D. Baker; U. Col.To the Editor Quality Assurance and Risk Management is a hot item for discussion and review in every aspect of today’s medical cam I personally experience great deal of frustration…
Falsely Elevated Oximeter Reading Dangerous on One Lung
Gail Van Norman; F.W. CheneyTo the Editor Use of the Pulse oximeter has been suggested as the standard of care for general anesthetics 1. It is well recognized that continuous assessment of arterial oxygenation…
Medical Decisions Asked of PACU Nurses
E. Lin Tuthill, B.S.N., J.D.,To the Editor: Please let us refocus not so much on the issue of a litigious society, but rather on the safety of patient care when talking about whether PACU…
Announcements
Dr. David Lees, APSF Director, Named to Prestigious FDA Post
David Eric Lees, M.D. a Director of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, was recently honored with an appointment as a member of the Anesthesiology and Respiratory Therapy Devices Panel of…
Notes
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Newsletter is the official publication of the nonprofit Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December at Overland Park,…
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Newsletter is the official publication of the nonprofit Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and is published quarterly in March, June, September, and December at Overland Park, Kansas. Annual membership: Individual $25.00, Corporate $500.00. This and any additional contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible © Copyright, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, 1989.
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:
Ellison C. Pierce, Jr., M.D., President; W Dekle Rountree, Jr., Vice-President; E.S. Siker, M.D., Secretary; Burton A. Dole, Jr., Treasurer; Jeffrey & Cooper, Ph.D.; Joachim S. Gavenstein, M.D.; James E Holzer, J.D.
Newsletter Editorial Board:
John H. Eichhorn, M.D., Stanley 1. Aukburg, M.D., Jeffrey M. Beutler, C.R.N.A., M.S., Ralph A. Epstein, M.D., David E. Lees, M.D., Bernard V. Wetchler, M.D., Mr. Mark D. Wood