Category: ASA

Anesthesia Drug Shortages Continue.

Since the great propofol shortage of 2010-11 there have been intermittent shortages of many drugs in many classes.  Chemotherapeutics, antihypertensives, you name it, its been short.  This is a blog about all things anesthesia so naturally we have taken that angle.  With that in mind I will again post the generic form you can cut and paste and send to your favorite generic drug maker:

Dear Generic Drug Maker,

It is both annoying and possibly life-threatening that we no longer have adequate supplies of _______.  Please make more, thanks.

Signed,

“Anesthesia”

 

Not really sure how to deal with this problem (besides poking fun at it) we, at The Anesthesia Blog, have compiled a list of useful links.  The ASA is also taking a stand and getting behind the “Preserving Access to Life-Saving Medications Act” which would at least let give the FDA some lead time in dealing with an impending shortage.

Useful resources:

Image: vongvanvi / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

 

Feb 22, 2012 | 0 comments View Post

ASA website aims to educate public.


If only all of our patients would educate themselves. Take a gander at the ASA website devoted to just such a thing: Lifeline to Modern Medicine.

From the ASA press release:

LifelinetoModernMedicine.com is the most comprehensive online anesthesia resource with a variety of information and tools, including:
  • The Anesthesia & Me© checklist, a potentially life-saving form that the ASA recommends people print, fill out and keep in their wallets in case of surgery. The checklist details a person’s medical history, current medications, allergies and additional items necessary for proper anesthesia care.
  • Information on the different types of anesthesia and the risks associated with each.
  • Details about what to expect before and after surgery.
  • Information on relevant medical specialties, including obstetrics, pediatrics, geriatric medicine and acute, chronic and cancer pain medicine.
  • Real-life patient stories.

Jun 27, 2009 | 0 comments View Post

Pediatric Anesthesia Should Be Banned

Just kidding. But read on…

Many an interesting tidbit was produced from the ASA convention last week in Orlando. Nothing much worth blogging about but I did come across an interesting abstract that was picked up by the popular press

Newsweek writes:

“This week, Columbia University researchers presented a study at the annual
meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists showing a possible link
between exposure to anesthesia and behavioral and developmental disorders in
young children.”

This unpublished abstract is an unfortunate instance of exactly what is wrong with the popular press. First of all, in my humble opinion, nothing but either large double-blind randomized controlled trials or meta-analyses should EVER be reported on in the popular press…much less a piddly abstract. It’s a joke to even attempt to derive meaningful information from an unpublished abstract with many, many flaws. Not Columbia’s fault it was picked up, just bad reporting. Fear sells, I guess. But that’s just my opinion.

Now does this have any relevance to clinical practice and providing anesthesia to pediatrics? Much remains to be elucidated about the effects of anesthesia on the littlest patients of ours. There is an excellent editorial in this months Anesthesiology addressing this very issue here.  

I’m not ready to alter my practice at least not according to my evidence-based approach to things. Feel free to differ.

Oct 27, 2008 | 0 comments View Post

Those who can do, and teach, can now get paid.

Score one for the ASA and the lobbyists!! Yay politics!

After many years of wrangling and debate a new bill passed in July which:

  • Blocks Medicare payment cuts for 18 months
  • Restores full Medicare payment to anesthesiology teaching programs .
  • Extends the 1.0 floor on the work GPCI through December 31, 2009.
  • Increases the PQRI bonus to 2.0% for 2009 and 2010 for physicians who choose to participate in the program.

Of particular note is the repeal of the “teaching tax” which slashed in half payment to teaching anesthesiologists who work with two residents on cases that overlap—even for a minute.

This misguided policy, in place since 1994, costs programs hundreds of thousands of dollars every year—hindering efforts to recruit and retain high-caliber teaching anesthesiologists, and ultimately weakening programs. Yay lobbyists!

Full article here.

Aug 19, 2008 | 0 comments View Post