OR Manager Conference second place poster winner highlights assessment tool to mitigate postanesthesia delirium risks
The poster presentations at the 2024 OR Manager Conference showcased exceptional perioperative initiatives, highlighting advancements and innovative practices. From streamlining documentation and optimizing billing processes to ensuring patient and staff safety in postanesthesia settings, the posters selected last year showed the ingenuity and dedication of healthcare professionals committed to excellence…
Hospital’s anesthesia reforms slash carbon footprint, expenses
Editor's Note Universitätsmedizin Berlin reduced anesthesia-related carbon emissions by more than 80% since 2018 by eliminating high-impact anesthetic gases, implementing education initiatives, and revising clinical guidelines, according to a February 27 report in Medical Xpress. The hospital’s efforts targeted desflurane, an anesthetic gas with an extreme climate impact—nearly 8,000 times…
FDA announces Class 1 endovascular system, anesthesia system recalls
Editor's Note The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) designated Getinge’s recall of Vaporizer Sevoflurane Maquet Filling and Sevoflurane Quick-Fil and Philips’ recall of Tack Endovascular Systems as Class 1s, the most severe category indicating serious risk of injury or death. The Getinge recall is an expansion of a 2024…
Study: Prolonged general anesthesia linked to long-term cognitive decline
Editor's Note Prolonged exposure to general anesthesia during surgery contributes to long-term cognitive decline, affecting executive functioning, selective attention, mental speed, and information processing, according to a February 18 study published in the European Journal of Anaesthesiology. This prospective longitudinal cohort study followed 1,823 adults aged 25–84 in the Netherlands…
Research highlights anesthesia provider knowledge gap on drug, hormonal contraceptive interactions
Editor's Note Insufficient awareness of drug interactions with hormonal contraceptives (HCs) among anesthesia providers could lead to unintended pregnancies and preventable health consequences, according to survey published in Anesthesia & Analgesia. Physician’s Weekly covered the news February 27. The article specifically cites sugammedex and aprepitant, both of which are widely…
States push to expand nurse practice authority
Editor's Note Recent legislative efforts in Florida and Mississippi aim to expand the authority of advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) with measures that would remove supervisory requirements and allow independent practice for certain nurse practitioners. The efforts underscore an ongoing, nationwide debate over the role of APRNs in addressing provider…
Criminalizing anesthesia errors has unintended consequences, experts warn
Editor's Note Treating unintended anesthesia errors as criminal acts could exacerbate workforce shortages, increase malpractice costs, and drive clinicians to defensive medicine, according to experts quoted in a January 15 report from Anesthesiology News. Instead, fostering a culture of safety and learning could more effectively reduce errors and improve patient…
FDA approves new non-opioid analgesic
Editor's Note The FDA has approved Journavx (suzetrigine), a first-in-class non-opioid analgesic, for the treatment of moderate to severe acute pain in adults. According to the agency’s January 30 announcement, the drug targets sodium channels in the peripheral nervous system to block pain signals before they reach the brain, representing…
Study: ERAS protocol reduces opioid use after cardiac surgery
Editor's Note Implementing a multimodal analgesia-based enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocol significantly reduced both intraoperative opioid administration and postoperative opioid prescriptions in cardiac surgery patients, according to a January 5 report in Anesthesiology News. The findings were presented at the 2024 International Anesthesia Research Society meeting by Montefiore-Einstein Center…
Infection control guidelines focus on regional anesthesia, pain management
Editor's Note New infection control recommendations from the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA Pain Medicine) are purportedly the first comprehensive guidelines tailored specifically for regional anesthesia and interventional pain management procedures, such as cortisone injections and drug-delivery implants. As detailed in the organization’s January 21…
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