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With the extension of expected life span in the United States, the aging population is expected to increase. By 2030, 20% of the country’s population will be greater than 65 years old. When compared to the younger population, elderly individuals…

Since the turn of the 21st century, drug shortages, especially those related to anesthetics, have compounded. Despite the passing of the 2012 Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA), which included the Strategic Plan for Preventing and Mitigating…

From pre-operative preparation and risk assessment to post-operative follow-up, anesthesiologists have a unique position in that they interact with patients across a broad spectrum of care. In addition to this breadth, they also deal with the full depth of medical…

“Ugh, another pulled muscle?!?” Annalisa, who just entered her 34th week of pregnancy, stopped walking and sat down at a nearby bench to catch her breath. Her 4-year old daughter looked at her curiously. She had been growing inpatient, counting…

Family physicians, internists, pain medicine physicians, and emergency room doctors frequently write for large amounts of opioids to treat acute and chronic pain. The difficulty with this approach to patient care is that heavy doses of narcotics often do not…

The Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has announced significant updates with regards to its value-based care programs. Of these programs, MACRA, the Medicare Access and CHIP Reauthorization Act, represents a highly innovative legislative measure to encourage quality care…

Despite earlier controversies, it is now more widely accepted that epidural labor analgesia has a causal association with maternal hyperthermia and maternal fever. However, the issue is complex given the wide range of etiologies of maternal fever, and the criticisms…

Anesthesia practitioners include anesthesiologists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and anesthesia assistants. These providers often work together in teams to deliver perioperative care. Healthcare practices and facilities have flexibility in determining how they want to deploy anesthesia services including the structure…

Approximately 20% of the U.S. population, totaling over 50 million people, lives in rural areas. Unfortunately, only 9% of practicing physicians serve these areas. The resulting lack of adequate access to care and resources has increased rural populations’ susceptibility to…

This post is part of a series exploring the issues of ethics in anesthesiology practice. When considering the ethics of anesthesiology practice, most people would think in the present tense. However, this aspect of anesthesiology has a storied history that…