Tear gas, formally referred to as a lachrymator agent, produces a wide spectrum of acute and chronic health effects. The immediate effects of tear gas exposure at concentrations typically used by law enforcement include irritation to the eyes, nose, mouth, skin, and respiratory tract.1 Effects on the skin include itching, stinging, redness, and potential blistering… Continue reading The Biological Mechanisms of Tear Gas on the Human Body
As American healthcare systems strive to improve patient access to medical care while reducing healthcare costs, there is now a growing interest in the field of telemedicine. In 2016, an estimated 61% of US healthcare institutions and 40% to 50% of US hospitals used telemedicine. From 2012 to 2013, the telemedicine market grew by 60%… Continue reading Telemedicine: Past, Present, and Future
Surgical site infections (SSIs) are a significant contributor to postoperative complications with 2.6 percent of nearly 30 million surgeries complicated by SSIs annually [1]. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) introduced the Surgical Infection Prevention (SIP) project in 2002, which led to the Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP) in 2006. One of the… Continue reading Surgical Care Improvement Project (SCIP)
The incubation period for COVID-19 is thought to be within 14 days following exposure, with most cases occurring approximately four to five days after exposure (1). The spectrum of symptomatic infection of COVID-19 ranges from mild to critical. According to a report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 81% of cases were… Continue reading Standard of Care for Coronavirus
In health care, quality improvement (QI) is the framework used for systematically improving patient care.1 Professionals must be able to measure, analyze, improve and control all processes across health care practices.1 QI includes evidence-based strategies to standardize practices among clinicians and institutions and to improve outcomes for patients, providers and the health care system.1 QI… Continue reading Quality Improvement in Anesthesiology
Caring for seriously ill or geriatric patients often means caring for patients who have chronic, painful symptoms or who are approaching the end of life.1 Because of the higher risk of perioperative morbidity and mortality in patients with serious illness, clinicians must consider palliative care strategies before, during and after a procedure for such a… Continue reading Anesthesiology in Palliative Care
In the past two decades, the United States has witnessed a marked increase in the use and abuse of prescription and illicit opioids.1 The annual number of deaths by overdose involving opioids has nearly quadrupled since 2000.2 In 2015, more than two million people in the United States were addicted to prescription opioids, and more… Continue reading Anesthesiology in the Opioid Epidemic
To provide high-quality anesthesia care, a clinician must account for the patient’s full health history and current medical condition. Oftentimes, patients undergoing surgery have extensive chronic or acute health problems that interfere with their cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, hepatic or circulatory systems.1 These issues make anesthesia administration complex and can lead to life-threatening perioperative anesthesia-related complications.2… Continue reading Anesthesia for Patients with Neurologic Disorders
Anesthesia monitoring devices are used during surgery to track patient vital signs such as heart rate, blood pressure, breathing pattern and movement.1 These devices play an important role during surgery, as they allow clinicians to monitor patients and reduce the risk of mishap.2 Companies that produce these monitoring devices compete to supply hospitals and health… Continue reading Trends in the Anesthesia Monitoring Devices Market