Education

Iodixanol (Visipaque) is an iodinated intravenous (IV) contrast agent which is iso-osmolar with plasma. Unlike the non-ionic monomer iohexol (Omnipaque), Visipaque is a non-ionic dimer; however, both agents are routinely utilized for angiography, venography,...

Persistent left superior vena cava (PLSVC) is a rare (~0.5% of the general population) venous anomaly when the left superior cardinal vein fails to degenerate. This can make entering the right heart from the...

Donation after cardiac death (DCD) is an organ procurement process for transplantation in patients with irreversible brain injuries who do not meet the formal criteria of brain death. These patients are transitioned to "comfort...

The American College of Medical Quality (ACMQ) offers a Certification In Medical Quality (CMQ) designation which I was interested in pursuing. Anesthesiology is at the forefront of medical specialties when it comes to patient...

As a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist, hemostasis, coagulopathy, and blood salvation are important considerations in the operations I'm involved with. Cell Saver is one technique our perfusion team routinely utilizes to facilitate blood conservation. Blood loss...

Cefoxitin (Mefoxin) is an intravenous cephamycin antibiotic (sometimes classified as a second-generation cephalosporin subgroup) that binds penicillin-binding proteins thereby disrupting the formation of bacterial cell walls. Compared to first-generation cephalosporins like cefazolin, cefoxitin is...

Pneumoperitoneum refers to free air within the peritoneal cavity most commonly caused by perforation of a hollow viscus from a procedure (e.g., endoscopy), trauma, cancer, bowel obstruction, inflammation, or ulceration. As this air accumulates...

Protamine is an intravenous protein used to reverse the blood thinner heparin. This medication was initially derived from salmon sperm but is now synthesized with recombinant DNA technology. Heparin (negatively charged) forms an ionic...