Growing public dissatisfaction over high medical bills has put pressure on U.S. politicians to enact legislation to protect consumers. The main cause for these surprise bills are out-of-network costs. Due to physician shortages and a more widely insured population following…
An open lung ventilation approach aims to decrease alveolar de-recruitment with the application of high PEEP (positive end-expiratory pressure) and other recruitment techniques. It is used in the treatment of acute respiratory distress syndrome and other cases of lung de-recruitment [1].…
Patients with epilepsy require special attention from anesthesiologists. They may require anesthesia in otherwise routine procedures, such as dental restorations or imaging studies [1]. Anti-epileptic medications (AEMs) can produce various pharmacologic and physiologic effects that impact anesthesia [2]. Additionally, many anesthetics have been reported to have…
Ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs) are licensed outpatient facilities that provide same-day surgical care without the need for hospital admission. ASCs offer cost-effective, high-quality services in a less stressful and more efficient environment than what many hospitals are able to provide (Ambulatory Surgery Center Association). While…
Mid-December marks 9 months since the COVID-19 outbreak was elevated to pandemic status by the World Health Organization (WHO) and since the White House declared a national emergency. Recently, vaccine development has seen significant progress, with a number of vaccines currently in Phase 3 trials.…
Monitored anesthesia care (MAC) refers to an anesthetic technique that involves a patient undergoing sedation without mechanical ventilatory support. [1]. During MAC, patients typically do not need such support and usually retain control of their airways; however, they are sedated throughout the procedure [2]. MAC usually requires fewer sedatives and analgesics than general…
Medication shortages are a global challenge with ethical and economic consequences. There is ongoing debate on how to make decisions and implement clinical strategies to address such situations in the most equitable way. Rationing polices differ by country, state, health care system, and institution. As a new global…
Closed-loop systems, in which anesthesiologists set an automatically maintained target during procedures, offer several advantages. These systems permit greater precision in achieving targeted outcomes, reduce the chance of human error, and free the anesthesiologist to focus on higher-level tasks. However, in order…
Anesthesia Information Management Systems (AIMS) facilitate the collection of patient data during the perioperative period. These tools interface with intraoperative patient monitors, and some can read and write data to and from hospitals’ clinical repositories (Ehrenfeld & Rehman, 2010). As more…
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread across the United States and the world, ventilator shortages have emerged as a major concern. With many COVID-19 patients requiring breathing assistance, a shortage of ventilators could mean the difference between life and death. Considering many U.S. states…