The American Society of Anesthesiologists today announced Masimo, a maker of innovative, noninvasive patient monitoring technologies, as an ASA Industry Supporter for the ninth year, supporting the work of the Society and physician anesthesiologists to improve patient safety and reduce reliance on opioids during or following surgical procedures.
Tag: Anesthesiology
Editor-in-Chief Debunks SARS-CoV-2 Origin Myths, Urges Media & Public to Rely on Science, not Science Fiction
Scientific evidence strongly supports that SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the COVID-19 disease, occurred when a virus circulating in animals transferred to humans, according to a commentary publishing in the August edition of ASA Monitor, the official news publication of the American Society of Anesthesiologists.
ASA and PSA Applaud New Pennsylvania Law Requiring Physician Oversight of Anesthesia Care
The American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists today applaud Gov. Tom Wolf, who signed Senate Bill 416 which puts into law physician oversight of anesthesia care and ensures patient safety remains a top priority.
Defending Science And The First Amendment, ASA Asks Federal Judge To Dismiss Pacira’s Lawsuit
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) asked United States District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo on June 11 to see the “trade libel” suit filed by Pacira BioSciences two months ago for what it is: an egregious and unjustified public relations campaign that seeks to chill scientific research and debate about Pacira’s controversial drug EXPAREL (liposomal bupivacaine). In its case, Pacira disputes the conclusions of peer-reviewed articles and an editorial in the February 2021 issue of Anesthesiology that EXPAREL lacks a comparative benefit over standard bupivacaine, even though it costs 100 times as much.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Makes Recommendations to Biden Admin.: Implement ‘No Surprises Act’ Equitably Without Improper Advantage to Health Insurers
Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) requested the Biden administration include a series of recommendations in its regulations to implement the “No Surprises Act,” the new federal surprise medical bill law, that will be implemented on January 1, 2022. ASA’s recommendations aim to ensure that the law is implemented fairly and equitably without improper benefit to health insurance companies.
New High for Migraine Treatment? Trial Looks at Effectiveness of THC, CBD
UC San Diego Health is conducting the first known randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial looking at cannabis as a potentially effective treatment for acute migraines.
Pacira Withdraws Motion to Seek Retraction of Anesthesiology Studies
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is pleased that Pacira Biosciences appeared before a federal magistrate judge on May 7, 2021, and withdrew its motion for a preliminary injunction to force Anesthesiology to retract two papers and an editorial concerning EXPAREL, published in the February 2021 issue.
ASA Calls on National Medical and Nursing Organizations to Reject Medical Title Manipulation
Medical title manipulation, a growing concern across health care and medical specialties, confuses patients and creates discord in the care setting, ultimately risking patient safety. Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) calls on the Council on Accreditation of Nurse Anesthesia Educational Programs, the National Board of Certification and Recertification for Nurse Anesthetists, and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing to reject any requests to manipulate and misappropriate medical titles.
Sleep disorders and surgery: Anesthesia & Analgesia marks first decade of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine
An estimated 50 million people undergo surgery each year in the United States, and a significant proportion of them have undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders (SD) or sleep-disordered breathing (SDB). Issues at the intersection of anesthesiology and sleep medicine are the focus of the Society of Anesthesia and Sleep Medicine (SASM) whose 10th anniversary is commemorated in the special theme May issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia.
ASA Announces Strategic Change to its Meetings Services Model with SmithBucklin Partnership
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced a strategic change to its meetings services model by partnering with SmithBucklin, a firm with decades of innovation and excellence in designing and producing association events. ASA will partner with SmithBucklin to deliver its ANESTHESIOLOGY® and Practice Management™ meetings.
Arkansas Society of Anesthesiologists and American Society of Anesthesiologists Applaud Arkansas Senate Public Health Committee on Passing SB 505 Giving Protection to Patients Prescribed Opioids
The Arkansas Society of Anesthesiologists (ARSA) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today applaud bill sponsor Sen. Cecile Bledsoe and the Arkansas Senate Public Health, Labor and Welfare Committee for helping to ensure the safety of patients prescribed opioids. Arkansas State Drug Director Kirk Lane and Jonathan Goree, M.D., a physician anesthesiologist and pain medicine specialist, testified for the bill.
Aspirin Use May Decrease Ventilation, ICU admission and Death in COVID-19 Patients
George Washington University researchers found low dose aspirin may reduce the need for mechanical ventilation, ICU admission and in-hospital mortality in hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Final results indicating the lung protective effects of aspirin were published today in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
ASA Applauds New Hampshire Supreme Court’s Decision to Ban Nurses’ Use of Physician Term, Anesthesiologist
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today applauds the New Hampshire Supreme Court for upholding the New Hampshire Board of Medicine’s decision that health care professionals using the term “anesthesiologist” must be licensed physicians and meet all of the requirements to practice medicine in the state.
14 Medical Specialty Organizations Achieve Pathway to Collaborative Guide for Acute Surgical Pain
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) hosted a virtual pain summit on February 20, 2021 with 14 medical specialty societies to discuss acute surgical pain principles that will serve as the basis for a multi-society acute pain resource. The first-of-its-kind event brought together a group of representing the major surgical stakeholders in acute pain management with the goal of reaching consensus on important principles regarding the treatment of perioperative pain. These principles will be developed into a guiding resource for clinicians and all members of the surgical care team in 2021.
Overwhelming Number of Veterans and Citizens Urge VA to Uphold Physician-Led Anesthesia Care to Protect Veterans’ Lives
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is gratified by the overwhelming concern from Veterans, their families, the medical community and concerned citizens about a rule from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that would remove physician supervision from anesthesia care in VA. More than 10,000 comments were submitted, including more than 3,000 from Veterans and their family members, in support of maintaining safe, high-quality physician anesthesiologist-delivered or physician-led anesthesia care for our nation’s Veterans, out of the 13,000 comments submitted overall.
6 Simple Steps Physician Anesthesiologists Can Lead on to Reduce Older Adults’ Risk of Surgery-related Delirium
A new paper defines the key practical steps that can be taken before, during, and after surgery to reduce patients’ risk of developing delirium and related problems that have long-term implications for brain health. Due to their unique role in perioperative care, physician anesthesiologists are ideally suited to lead multidisciplinary teams to implement these recommendations devoted to ensuring safety for all patients.
American Society of Anesthesiologists and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Offer Guidance on Surgery for Post-COVID-19 Infected Patients
A new surgical patient demographic has emerged during COVID-19; patients who have recovered from the virus. To help hospitals, surgeons, anesthesiologists and proceduralists evaluate and schedule essential and elective surgeries for these patients, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) offer the following guidance as hospitals need to perform surgery even as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic.
Proposed Medicare Cuts Threaten Anesthesiology Practices Already Struggling Amid Pandemic
Medicare has finalized a regulation mandating drastic cuts to its payment rates for important health care services, threatening the practices of physician anesthesiologists who have been on the front lines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) opposes these detrimental payment reductions, and urges Congress to take immediate action to override the cuts and ensure physician anesthesiologists can continue to care for their patients while being fairly compensated for their work.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Urges Medicare to Keep Physician-led Anesthesia Care to Protect Older Patients and Patients with Disabilities
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) recently issued a request for information regarding waivers declared during the COVID-19 pandemic, including one that removed physician anesthesiologists from anesthesia care and replaced them with nurses. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) urges Americans to protect older patients and those with disabilities by posting a comment to the Federal Register asking the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to rescind the temporary policy that lowers the standard of care and risks patients’ lives.
Physician Anesthesiologists, Veterans and VA Anesthesia Chiefs Urge VA to Uphold Physician-Led Anesthesia Care to Protect Veterans’ Lives
In response to a recently released rule by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) wants Americans to protect Veterans by asking VA to uphold the national standard of anesthesia care that ensures health and safety.
GAO’s Anesthesia Services Report Inaccurate and Misleading, says American Society of Anesthesiologists
The U.S. Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) report on anesthesia services missed the mark, according to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Instead of a full and comprehensive review of a longstanding problem of unusually low Medicare payment rates for anesthesia services, the GAO made no effort to analyze the crux of the problem, the Medicare anesthesia payment system, which in itself is flawed.
Labor epidurals do not cause autism; Safe for mothers and infants, say anesthesiology, obstetrics, and pediatric medical societies
The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP),the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) aim to clearly reassure pregnant women that the article “Association Between Epidural Analgesia During Labor and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring,” a new retrospective database study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12th, 2020 does not provide credible scientific evidence that epidurals for pain relief cause autism.
Michael W. Champeau, M.D., FASA, elected first vice president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced Michael W. Champeau, M.D., FASA, has been named first vice president of ASA. Dr. Champeau was elected at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting and will serve for one year.
ASA Applauds White House Effort to End Surprise Medical Bills
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) applauds yesterday’s announcement of an Executive Order by the president to address surprise medical bills. ASA has been committed to ongoing efforts to protect patients while finding a fair solution to addressing these unexpected medical bills.
Four National Organizations Provide Guidance on Maintaining Essential Operations as COVID-19 Pandemic Continues
The recent resurgence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has many states near or at bed and intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, and health care facilities’ ability to meet the ongoing needs of surgical patients may be stressed by new influxes of COVID-19 patients admitted to health care facilities. To ensure health care organizations, physicians, and nurses remain prepared to meet these demands to care for patients who undergo recommended essential operations, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and American Hospital Association (AHA) have developed a Joint Statement: Roadmap for Maintaining Essential Surgery During COVID-19 Pandemic. This joint statement provides a list of principles and considerations to guide physicians, nurses, and hospitals and health systems as they provide essential care to their patients and communities. This joint statement builds on the Joint Statement:
Arizonans Overwhelmingly Want Physicians to Supervise Nurse Anesthetists and Respond to Anesthesia Emergencies
The Arizona Society of Anesthesiologists (AzSA) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) strongly oppose Governor Doug Ducey’s decision to “opt-out” of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ physician supervision requirement, which dismantles the anesthesia care team model in Arizona by allowing nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia without physician supervision. Only 28% of Arizona voters support the governor’s exemption to this federal regulation that requires nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia under the supervision of a physician.
Perioperative Surgical Home Programs Can Improve Patient Outcomes, Decrease Hospital Stays, Review Finds
New research shows hospitals that use of a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of care may be more likely to achieve good clinical outcomes and lower costs of care for their surgical patients, than hospitals without a PSH program.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Receives Prestigious ‘Accreditation with Commendation’ for Continuing Medical Education Program
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has received the prestigious “Accreditation with Commendation” designation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) in recognition of ASA’s high quality continuing medical education (CME) program. Of the applicants eligible to apply for “commendation,” approximately 10% receive the designation.
New Hampshire Anesthesiologists Lead Tele-Intensive Care Unit Innovation for COVID-19 Patients in Rural Areas during Public Health Crisis
Physician anesthesiologists have been on the frontlines caring for COVID-19 patients throughout the country, but in New Hampshire physicians have innovated with a Tele-Intensive Care Unit (TeleICU) hub to collaborate with physicians in rural hospitals to ensure infected patients from across the state get critical care expertise at no expense while receiving care close to home.
Use of Ketamine for a Non-medical Purpose: Statement from the American Society of Anesthesiologists
The American Society of Anesthesiologists firmly opposes the use of ketamine or any other sedative/hypnotic agent to chemically incapacitate someone for a law enforcement purpose and not for a legitimate medical reason. Ketamine is a potent analgesic, sedative and general anesthetic agent which can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, and can lead to confusion, agitation, delirium, and hallucinations. These effects can end in death when administered in a non-health care setting without appropriately trained medical personnel and necessary equipment.
AQI Receives Support from Edwards Lifesciences to Improve Data Collection and Analysis of Low Blood Pressure
The Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI), a related organization of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), announced today a quality-driven initiative dedicated to further developing the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR), the largest anesthesia registry in the country. The initiative, supported by Edwards Lifesciences, represents a shared vision between AQI and Edwards to improve data collection and analysis, including new tracking and feedback of intraoperative hypotension (low blood pressure), to better inform future quality standards that can positively impact patient outcomes.
Nurses’ Use of Physician Term Anesthesiologist Misleading to Patients
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) yesterday urged the New Hampshire Supreme Court to uphold the New Hampshire Medical Board’s decision that health care professionals using the term “anesthesiologist” must be licensed physicians and meet all the requirements to practice medicine in the state, according to an amicus curiae brief filed on behalf of ASA and the American Medical Association (AMA).
ASA Monitor Relaunched to Reflect More Global, Timely Issues in Perioperative Health Care News
To bring a full range of perioperative health care news and information to physician anesthesiologists, surgical care team members and health care executives, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced its expanded partnership with Wolters Kluwer to publish and relaunch its publication the ASA Monitor
Robbins Family Awards Honor Exemplary Service In Nursing at Memorial Sloan Kettering
As we celebrate National Nurses Week, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (MSK) and The Robbins Family Foundation recognize seven distinguished nursing staff members for their exemplary service. Each member of this select group is being honored with the inaugural 2020 Robbins Family Award for Nursing Excellence.
Ruth S. Waterman, MD, Named Chair of the Department of Anesthesiology
Ruth S. Waterman, MD, has been named chair of the Department of Anesthesiology at University of California San Diego School of Medicine and UC San Diego Health.
Physician Anesthesiologists Urge VA to Reverse Directive Jeopardizing Veterans’ Lives
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) urges Americans to protect our nation’s Veterans by asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reverse
its memorandum that dismantles the successful anesthesia care team, removes physician anesthesiologists from surgery and replaces them with nurses, lowering the standard of care for Veterans and jeopardizing their lives.
ASA, APSF and AANA Issue Joint Statement on Use of Personal Protective Equipment During COVID-19 Pandemic
As anesthesia professionals are at an increased risk of exposure in caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) and American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) issued a joint statement today on the best use of personal protective equipment during the pandemic.
Strategies for health care response to COVID-19 shared by Chinese anesthesiologists
Anesthesiologists treating patients at the forefront of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China, share valuable lessons for other practitioners as the wave of coronavirus infections rolls through other countries. Their first-hand accounts are combined with scholarly review articles in a special article series published today in ANESTHESIOLOGY, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).
ASA, AAOS launch toolkit to help physicians safely, effectively alleviate patients’ postoperative pain with reduced opioid use
To help physicians safely and effectively alleviate pain and encourage optimal opioid stewardship in patients following surgery, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today released the Pain Alleviation Toolkit. The toolkit provides physicians and patients with resources to encourage communication and decision-making to help reduce patients’ postoperative pain as much and as safely as possible.
Majority of Physician Anesthesiologists Treat Older Adults, But Less than 10% Screen for Frailty or Dementia Pre- or Postoperatively, Survey Finds
A national, non-scientific survey from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) finds that more than 96% of respondents treated a patient 65 or older in 2018. However, despite guidelines, more than 80% physician anesthesiologists rarely or never perform preoperative screening for cognitive impairment or frailty for older surgical patients.
ASA Survey Shows Health Insurers Abruptly Terminating Physician Contracts, Dramatically Cutting Payment Rates Forcing Physicians Out of Network
A new national survey from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) finds physician anesthesiologists are being forced out of network as insurance companies terminate their contracts, often with little or no notice.
ASA Troubled by Impact of Education and Labor Committee Surprise Bill Legislation, Urges Support for Key Amendments
Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), representing more than 54,000 members, expressed serious concerns with the surprise medical bills legislation released by the House Education and Labor Committee as drafted. The Society expresses strong support amendments to address the bill’s pro-insurer orientation.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Launches New Podcasts
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced the launch of two new monthly podcasts for physician anesthesiologists, the anesthesia care team, residents, medical students and anesthesiology community.
South Dakotans Deserve a Physician to Administer Anesthesia
The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the South Dakota Society of Anesthesiologists (SDSA) strongly oppose SB 50, which will needlessly dismantle the anesthesia care team model in South Dakota by authorizing nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia without physician supervision. Additionally, the bill will authorize nurse anesthetists to prescribe patients potentially dangerous controlled substances, including opioids, and perform intricate pain medicine procedures all with no physician oversight or involvement.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Thanks the House Ways and Means Committee for its Work to Address Surprise Medical Bills
Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) on behalf of its 54,000 members thanked the House Ways and Means Committee for its framework to address surprise medical bills.
American Society of Anesthesiologists Strongly Opposes Surprise Medical Bill Provisions In Alexander-Pallone-Walden Lower Health Care Costs Proposal
Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), representing more than 54,000 members, expressed its strong opposition to the surprise medical bill provisions included in the Alexander-Pallone-Walden Lower Health Care Costs proposal.
Loyola University Medical Center Names Steven Edelstein, MD, Chair of Anesthesiology
Steven Edelstein, MD, Professor of Anesthesiology, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine, has been named chair for the Loyola University Medical Center department of anesthesiology, effective December 1, 2019.
FAER/ABA Co-Sponsor Research in Education Grant for a Second Year
The ABA and FAER are co-sponsoring the FAER/ABA Research in Education Grant for a second year to advance the careers and knowledge of physician anesthesiologists interested in key elements of education in anesthesiology.
Dr. Mark Lema to Receive Distinguished Service Award
Dr. Mark J. Lema, State University of New York (SUNY) Distinguished Service Professor and Chair of Anesthesiology at SUNY at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, has been selected to receive ASRA’s 2019 Distinguished Service Award.
Dr. Nagy Mekhail Is ASRA’s 2019 John Bonica Lecture Award Winner
Nagy Mekhail, MD, PhD, professor at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, has been selected to receive the American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine (ASRA) 2019 John J. Bonica Award.