anesthesia

Intravenous (IV) fluids are ubiquitous in medicine. Crystalloid fluids consist of electrolytes and/or dextrose. They are traditionally used to replace ongoing fluid losses, hydrate patients who cannot tolerate enteral intake, reconstitute medications, etc. Colloids...

Endotracheal tubes (ETTs) and tracheostomy tubes have pilot balloons which are inflated to expand a pilot cuff situated within the trachea below the vocal cords. This is termed a "secure airway." If this cuff is...

The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) preoperative fasting guidelines outline a certain number of hours patient should fast based on their last intake (ie, 6 hours for a light meal) The goal is to...

Postoperative pulmonary complications (PPCs) come in a wide variety of flavors ranging from atelectasis and pulmonary congestion to respiratory failure and pneumonia. Not only do certain surgeries (upper abdominal and thoracic), age, case duration,...

Over the course of my training as a cardiac anesthesiologist and intensivist, I've come across many manifestations of cardiac compression ranging from hemorrhagic pericardial effusions to massive clots. Although the general teaching is to...

As an anesthesiologist working with resident physicians and anesthesiologist assistants (AAs), I'm held accountable for the following seven steps of medical direction. In many cases, payers require documentation of these elements (even with I'm...

Working "behind the curtain" in the operating room has given me insight about the incredible commitment we as anesthesiologists have to patient safety. In the course of a routine cardiac surgery, I administer a...

Over the years, I've read and received accounts of patient experiences along the lines of: "I woke up during anesthesia!" This piqued my interest as awareness with recall during general anesthesia (GA) is a...