Epidural anesthesia is well-known for its use for pregnant women during labor.1 One of the most common functions of epidural anesthesia is as a nerve block, which numbs spinal nerves and prevents pain signals from traveling to the brain.2 An epidural involves injecting a small amount of anesthetic into the epidural space of the lumbar… Continue reading Epidural Nerve Blocks
Research shows that debriefing, or rehashing the details, after incidents that are psychologically and physically taxing can aid in the prevention of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).1 In particular, critical incident stress debriefing (CISD)—defined as a small-group, supportive crisis intervention serving as “psychological first-aid”—aims to mitigate the impact of a traumatic event, facilitate normal recovery and… Continue reading The Benefits of Debriefing after Critical Incidents in Anesthesia
According to a survey conducted by the Center for Healthcare Leadership and Management, 42% of physician assistants and 20% of nurse practitioners do not know whether claims are billed under their own name. Additionally, the same percentage in both groups of providers are unaware of whether claims are billed under their own national provider identification… Continue reading Communications Gap Between Providers and Billers
Bronchospasm is one of the most feared complications occurring in anesthesia. 7% of all anesthesia-related deaths in France are attributed to bronchospasm [1]. 9% of asthmatic patients will experience intraoperative bronchospasm during general anesthesia. Additionally, adverse respiratory events, including bronchospasm, accounted for 28% of claims regarding anesthesia-related brain damage or death, and resulted in the… Continue reading Intraoperative Bronchospasm: Background and Management
The novel coronavirus (COVID-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2) has been identified as the cause of the current outbreak of respiratory illness in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China beginning in December 2019. As of March 22, this epidemic has spread to 195 countries across the world with over 375,000 confirmed cases, including 16,525 deaths (1). Due to… Continue reading Biological Mechanisms of Coronavirus
A substance use disorder (SUD) is a brain disease marked by an inability to control the use of a legal or illegal drug despite harmful effects.1 According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5), SUD criteria include tolerance, craving and inordinate time spent taking or seeking a drug.2 Despite health… Continue reading Anesthetic Drug Abuse by Anesthesia Professionals
Teamwork is central to high-quality medical care. This statement holds even more so for the perioperative setting, in which surgeons, anesthesiologists, primary care and specialty physicians collaborate in order to decide on and subsequently deliver essential care to the patient. In dialogue on the perioperative cycle, it is oft-assumed that analysis ends when the patient… Continue reading Anesthesiologists and Hospitalists: Collaboration in the Perioperative Cycle
Tracking and billing anesthesia time is a complicated process, the responsibility for which rests primarily on the anesthesiologist. According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists’ 2019 Relative Value Guide, billable anesthesia time begins at the start of the anesthesia service and continues until the operation is completed. In effect, this means that anesthesia time runs… Continue reading Anesthesia Times and Billing Patterns
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) is a procedure in which small electric currents pass through the brain, intentionally triggering a short seizure.1 ECT causes changes in neurons’ electrical and chemical signaling, and it can quickly reverse symptoms of certain mental health conditions.1 This form of therapy has been accompanied by decades of stigma, given its uses in… Continue reading Anesthesia for Electroconvulsive Therapy