Key Points ▪ Immersion in water causes acute redistribution of blood from the extremities and splanchnic vessels to the heart and pulmonary vessels. This can precipitate pulmonary edema (immersion pulmonary edema [IPE], swimming-induced pulmonary edema [SIPE]) in some individuals, especially…
Key Points ▪ High altitude or space environments present a number of extreme physiologic challenges that must be overcome in order to survive. ▪ Given sufficient time, humans can adapt to both hypobaric hypoxia and microgravity. ▪ Lack of adaptation…
Key Points ▪ The non-operating room arena represents an expansion of the traditional environment for anesthesia practice with significant implications for patients and providers. As technology advances and patient acuity increases, non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) cases have become more demanding…
Key Points ▪ The use of ambulatory surgery continues to increase, mostly as a result of less invasive surgical techniques, improved patient selection and preparation, and an expansion of office-based practice. ▪ Few absolute contraindications exist to ambulatory surgery. Patients…
Key points: Robotic surgery has witnessed explosive growth. Currently (2018) more than 3 million procedures have been performed using the da Vinci system worldwide. Robotic surgery is not true autonomous surgery but instead the robot is used as mechanical “helping…
Key Points ▪ Difficult airways are more frequently encountered in patients undergoing ear, nose, and throat (ENT) surgery, especially for cancer. Reviewing the results of a preoperative computed tomography (CT) scan or an endoscopic airway examination may help identify pathologic…
▪ Natural disasters such as earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, and tornadoes have the ability to cause massive interruptions in the normal provision of health care. ▪ Anesthesiologists possess a combination of knowledge and procedural skills that make them extremely valuable…
Key Points ▪ After World War II, the subspecialty of prehospital emergency medicine evolved with leadership from doctors in anesthesiology. In many countries, prehospital emergency medicine is considered the fourth pillar along with anesthesiology, critical care, and pain therapy. ▪…
Key Points ▪ Perioperative anesthesia care for patients who have undergone acute trauma depends on an understanding of trauma system design and surgical priorities. ▪ Successful emergency airway management is based on having a clear plan, such as the American…
Key Points ▪ The proportion of adults over age 70 has increased throughout the world with a corresponding increase in older surgical patients. ▪ Normal aging is associated with changes in physiology and an increase in many pathologic conditions. ▪…