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Uncategorized Published - 9 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Surgical Site Infections – Prevention Is Better Than Treatment!

Authors: Kumar G. Belani, MBBS, MS, FACA, FAAP, SAMBA-F ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 18. To minimize catheter-related bloodstream infection, one must observe maximal sterile barrier precautions, including the use of a cap, mask, sterile gown, sterile gloves, and a sterile full body drape as shown in the photo taken approximately three decades ago […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Enhancing Patient Communications Program, Part 3: Patient-Centered Care Means Ensuring Cultural Competency and Tailoring Communications

Author: Brooke Trainer, MD, FASA ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 39–40. Communicating in Specific Contexts is the third of a four-part series that provides more information about ASA’s Enhancing Patient Communications Program. Although most physicians feel confident that they treat patients equally, preconceived notions bias our interactions, and we may not even be aware of them. […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Using Big Data to Analyze ASA’s Twitter Presence: @ASALifeline Engagement Depends on Tweet Topic and Influencers

Authors: Gregory J. Booth, MD et al  ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 32–33. Figure 1: ASA Twitter word cloud, including tweets sent by @ASALifeline between October 2011 and September 2021. Twitter is a powerful tool for ASA (@ASALifeline) and has the power to drive substantial change in our field, such as improving engagement in conferences […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Tackling the Opioid Epidemic Together: Unrestricted Funds from Industry Boost ASA’s Efforts to Prevent Opioid Misuse

Author: Michael E. Harned, MD, FASA ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 29. The opioid crisis continues to spiral. Today, Americans are more likely to die from an accidental opioid overdose (1 in 96 odds) than a car crash (1 in 103 odds) (asamonitor.pub/3xncIyB). Crafting solutions calibrated to truly meet the severity of the crisis isn’t […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
ACE Question

ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 16. A patient presents to the emergency department with newly diagnosed type A aortic dissection. You prepare to take the patient to the OR emergently. The patient is hypertensive in the emergency department with a blood pressure of 180/90 mm Hg and a heart rate of 90 beats/min. Which of […]

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Uncategorized Published - 8 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Anesthesiology in the News

ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 27–28. Media coverage of ASA’s fight against 0% increase in Medicare payment continues In March, Becker’s ASC Review covered ASA’s urging Congress not to accept the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission Recommendation of no (0%) annual payment update for physician payments in 2023 and quoted ASA President Randall M. Clark, MD, […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Current State of Mandatory Drug Testing for Anesthesiologists and Trainees

Author: Gordon Glantz ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 17. Joseph Szokol, MD, ASA’s Chief Health Policy Officer, would love nothing more than to say that he has not been directly affected by substance use disorders (SUDs), but that is sadly not the case. “Unfortunately, I have had to do interventions on several residents and […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
SEE Question

ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 12. Your next patient is a 75-year-old woman who fell while walking across her living room and sustained a right hip fracture. You plan to place a spinal anesthetic for the hip fracture repair surgery. According to a recent study, which of the following outcomes is MOST likely improved 60 […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Anesthesia Incident Reporting System (AIRS) Case 2022-08: It’s All About the Airway. What Would You Do?

ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 10–11. This month’s AIRS case reports are presented in a format that we have borrowed from NASA’s CALLBACK, which discusses events that have been entered into the Aviation Safety Reporting System. We will let you “interact” with the information given in two events that have been reported to AIRS. In […]

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Uncategorized Published - 7 September, 2022    By - Dr Clemens
Mitigation of Perioperative COVID-19 Infection

Authors: Uday Jain, BSEE, MD, PhD, FASA; Lalitha Sundararaman, MBBS, MD ASA Monitor August 2022, Vol. 86, 25. The current Omicron BA.2 surge has increased the likelihood that infected patients will undergo surgery. A study from March through August 2020 found that the 30-day risk of pulmonary complications, sepsis, and ischemic stroke was increased among patients positive […]

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