Major technical and pharmacological achievements in recent years have greatly influenced the practice of anesthesia. Clinical signs related to the main aspects of anesthesia, i.e., hypnosis, analgesia, and muscular relaxation, are increasingly obtainable from variables supplied by the monitoring equipment. It is not known, however, to what extent more indirect, patient-associated clinical signs...

This qualitative inquiry explored factors that protect recovering anesthetic opioid-dependent nurse anesthetists from relapse after their return to anesthesia practice. Practicing nurse anesthetists in recovery from potent opioids were recruited through online advertising and individually interviewed over the telephone. The interview consisted of open-ended questions that aided description of p...

Situation awareness (SA) is defined as one's perception of the elements of the environment, the comprehension of their meaning, and the projection of their status in the near future. The concept of SA is well known in the aviation industry, which is characterized by complexity and dynamism. The discipline of anesthesia shares these same environmental characteristics, yet the study of SA in this...

Air Force (AF)-certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) play an important role in the support of the global war on terror. The purpose of the investigation was to use an AF CRNA-specific modification of the Readiness Estimate and Deployability Index Revised for AF Nurses to assess readiness for deployment. Dimensions included clinical competency, operational competency, soldier/survival ...

A recent case reminded me that it has been almost 15 years since Congress passed the Americans with Disabilities Act at the urging of President George Herbert Walker Bush. While everyone supported the goals of the Act, some lawyers were unclear about the changes that the Act would bring and the effect they might have. In anesthesia, what disabilities would be protected by the Act and what kinds...

Objectives At the completion of this course, the reader should be able to: 1. Describe the pathophysiologic changes that are associated with morbid obesity. 2. Discuss commonly used weight-reduction drugs and the dosing of commonly administered anesthetic drugs given to morbidly obese patients. 3. Compare and contrast the various surgical procedures used for bariatric surgery. 4. List periopera...

for recertification and the procedural rules for recertification review. This document is published in this June issue of the AANA Journal so that those interested may direct comments concerning the recertification criteria and procedures to the Council. The deadline for receipt of comments is August 1, 1979. Upon reviewing any material received, the Council will then publish the finalized docu...

Informatics is a new science within healthcare and anesthesia that leverages computer technology to improve patient safety, the quality of care provided, and workload efficiency. In clinical anesthesia practice, appropriate application of informatics promotes data standardization and integrity, and supports clinical decision-making. This article describes current issues in anesthesia informatio...