CRNA : the clinical forum for nurse anesthetists
-
Review Case Reports
Current perspectives on the perioperative management of the latex-allergic patient.
The increasing incidence of latex allergy necessitates thorough preanesthetic screening for risk factors, which will be delineated in this article, that are associated with latex allergy. The pathophysiology, epidemiology, and testing procedures for latex allergy will be reviewed. This case report will illustrate the management of a patient who was found to be latex-sensitive during surgery and the management of intraoperative anaphylaxis is provided. Safe perioperative care can be provided for latex-sensitive patients if latex avoidance techniques are used consistently.
-
Postoperative nausea and vomiting are common and distressing postsurgical complications. Prevention or early treatment of this complication should be a goal of all anesthesia providers. ⋯ Pharmacological actions and side effects of commonly used antiemetics are addressed. The new serotonin antagonists and combined antiemetic therapy are highlighted.
-
The 21st century will bring a new era of cost containment to the arena of ambulatory surgery force practitioners of anesthesia to reevaluate practice patterns. Along with the current increased interest in cost containment and optimal use of limited resources, growing concerns about patient outcome result in controversial issues in adult and pediatric outpatient anesthesia that must be addressed in the areas of preoperative evaluation, patient preparation and selection, laboratory screening, and practical discharge criteria. The future challenge for all practitioners is to provide high-quality anesthesia care at a reduced cost.
-
Healthcare practitioners are the primary users of medical devices for direct patient care. As such, they are in the best position to recognize problems that result from the use of medical devices. The outcome of a device-related adverse event or product problem, as with any other medical product, can be serious and result in illness injury, or even death. ⋯ Healthcare practitioners are major contributors to the knowledge base related to device use and safety through astute monitoring, rapid identification of device-related problems, and reporting these problems. An understanding of the voluntary and mandatory mechanism of reporting will ensure that device problems are reported appropriately and in a timely manner. As the primary users of medical equipment for direct patient care, health care professionals have the training and expertise to improve patient care by reporting actual and suspected problems with medical devices.
-
Anesthesia providers are expected to provide information to the patient during the preanesthesia interview that enables the patient to make informed choices. Adequate disclosure during the informed consent process ensures the equalization of the practitioner/patient relationship and the decision-making rights of the patient. Both certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) and anesthesiologists are not only legally required to provide information that will allow a patient to make an informed judgment about how to proceed with various anesthetic modalities but are also obligated by their standards of practice. This article informs the CRNA about the principles of informed consent so that they can better understand their role in the informed consent process.