Current opinion in anaesthesiology
-
Office-based anesthesia is a new and growing subspecialty within ambulatory anesthesia. We examine major developments in office-based anesthesia and how patient safety can be maintained. ⋯ There is no uniform standard of care for performing procedures in the office-based setting. Healthcare providers are facing the challenge of creating a safer, efficient, cost-effective and patient-centered environment. Available data show that the office-based practice can be as safe as any ambulatory surgicenter or hospital, as long as patients, regulators, and physicians become educated advocates of safer practices. In addition, procedures can be performed safely with general anesthesia or conscious sedation, provided that there are properly trained personnel and adequate equipment and facilities. Moreover, physicians should be credentialed to perform the same procedure in a hospital that they perform in an office.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2012
ReviewMobile computing in medical education: opportunities and challenges.
There is an increasing importance of incorporating mobile computing into the academic medical environment. A growing majority of physicians, residents and medical students currently use mobile devices for education, access to clinical information and to facilitate bedside care. Therefore, it is important to assess the current opportunities and challenges in the use of mobile computing devices in the academic medical environment. ⋯ Understanding the opportunities and challenges of using mobile computing devices in the academic medical environment can help determine the feasibility and benefits of their use for individuals and institutions.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2012
ReviewRecovery after orthopedic surgery: techniques to increase duration of pain control.
Ambulatory surgery continues to expand in scope and volume. Part of this development is supported by improvements in anesthesia care, especially in the realm of postoperative analgesia, which is often outlasted by the pain. The purpose of this review is to outline methods of increasing the duration of postoperative pain control. ⋯ The ideas and findings described in this review are taken from the most recent literature and show promise of aiding in the continued improvement of patient care through their dissemination and refinement by further research. Of the modalities reviewed in current use, the continuous perineural catheter combined with systemic multimodal analgesics represents the best combination of safety and efficacy to provide prolonged postoperative analgesia.
-
Curr Opin Anaesthesiol · Dec 2012
ReviewInnovative transesophageal echocardiography training and competency assessment for Chinese anesthesiologists: role of transesophageal echocardiography simulation training.
Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is playing an invaluable role in diagnosing and monitoring the patient's hemodynamics in both cardiac and noncardiac surgery. There have been many obstacles in TEE training. ⋯ The TEE simulator provides an easy comprehensive learning interface and a friendly environment without the psychological pressure and time limitation frequently experienced in the operation room. The simulator can also be used to assess and evaluate the trainees' manipulation skills, space thinking, and clinical judgment ability. TEE simulation-based training and testing can be an important part in TEE training curriculum before the trainees start their clinical training in the operation room.
-
To summarize the currently available data on malpractice claims related to ambulatory anesthesia and provide an insight into the emerging patterns of anesthesia liability in this practice setting. ⋯ With steady increase in outpatient surgery, anesthesiologists are confronted with new areas of liability. More data are needed to identify these risks and reduce exposure to malpractice claims.