With the increasing elderly population in the United States, it becomes increasingly important to understand the physiologic changes of aging to better tailor anesthetic management of the geriatric patient. A review of changes by system is presented below. The CNS…
The difficult airway is a topic both ubiquitous and vaguely defined in clinical anesthesia practice. The most common characterization is a clinical situation in which a conventionally trained anesthesia provider has difficulty mask ventilating, intubating, or both. How one approaches…
A physician anesthesiologist starts preparing for his or her cases the day before surgery. This includes a thorough review of each patient’s medical history. Devising a thoughtful anesthesia plan requires the anesthesiologist to consider all patient factors in conjunction with…
The fundamental purpose of healthcare is to achieve good health outcomes for patients (Murphy, 2012). Clinical outcomes are measured and published to ultimately improve healthcare quality for individuals. The role of performance measurement in healthcare is thought to ensure a…
In the past decade, heart rate variability (HRV) has emerged as an intriguing parameter for interrogation of autonomic nervous system functioning. It relies on the physiologic phenomenon of changing heart rate with respiration, a process heavily reliant on input from…
Spinal blocks are administered by anesthesiologists for a variety of lower body surgeries including genitourinary tract procedures, cesarean sections, orthopedic hip or knee replacements, and lower abdominal surgeries like hernia repairs. Spinal anesthesia is achieved by a single shot of…
In today’s world with the intersection of healthcare and economics in the spotlight, there is huge pressure on hospitals to reduce spending. With sometimes uncertain reimbursement, keeping costs low is vital to maintain both healthy patients and a healthy budget.…
Every so often, a curious patient will ask how the drugs they receive work exactly. Seeing as “No one knows for sure” is hardly a reassuring response, I typically go into a simplified discussion of intravenous agents and their known…
A new study suggests that direct-to-consumer telehealth may increase access to care but does not decrease spending. Direct-to-consumer telehealth offers patients access to a physician via telephone or videoconferencing. Health plans and employers generally view telehealth as a way to…
Much of what makes modern anesthesia carry a lower risk than the anesthetics of yesteryear relates to consistency: standard monitors, evidence based guidelines, the ready availability of equipment and personnel to be able to respond to an emergency. Few things…