Halothane, also known as fluothane, is a nonflammable, halogenated hydrocarbon and inhalational general anesthetic.1 Halothane was created in the 1950s by Charles Suckling, an English chemist, after two years of research and testing.2,3 At the time, ether and chloroform were common anesthetics, but their flammable nature made them dangerous in the operating room.4 Halothane, which… Continue reading Halothane: Biological Mechanisms, Surgical Applications and Side Effects
Groupon, an online coupon service that aims to offer “a vast mobile and online marketplace where people discover and save on amazing things to do, see, eat and buy,”1 has worked with over one million merchants since its founding in 2008.2,3 These days, many of those merchants are members of the health care field, who—through… Continue reading Groupons for Healthcare Treatment
The safe administration of general anesthesia requires an understanding of the technological advances in highly sophisticated anesthetic equipment. When using modern anesthetic workstations, it is important to understand the complex interaction between the delivery systems – which conduct anesthetic gases from an anesthetic machine to the patient – and the reservoir bag. The anesthesia reservoir… Continue reading Functions of anesthesia reservoir bag in a breathing system
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