Key Points The biologic effects of ionizing radiation are proportional to the time of exposure, whereas radiation exposure is inversely proportional to the square of the distance from the radiation source. Modern fluoroscopy units typically employ ABC, which automatically adjusts…
Use of Medications During Pregnancy Medical management of the pregnant patient should begin with attempts to minimize the use of all medications and use non-pharmacologic therapies whenever possible. When opting for drug therapy, the clinician must consider any potential for…
The Evolution of Pain Medicine as a Subspecialty As medical knowledge expands, there is a natural progression toward specialization. No physician can become an expert in every field, yet there is discomfort with this inevitable narrowing of focus. The urge…
This chapter covers challenges in defining, measuring, and improving quality in pain management as well as patient safety issues. These are in some cases distinct and in others inextricably interrelated. They are each debated on national and international levels, and…