Although the use of pulmonary artery catheters (PACs, otherwise known as Swan-Ganz catheters) has never been shown to confer a mortality benefit, they are still routinely used in operating rooms and intensive care units to help guide resuscitation, monitor pulmonary artery pressures (PAP), differentiate mixed shock states, assess continuous cardiac…
Reliable peripheral intravenous (PIV) access is essential to patient safety in the event of massive resuscitation in the operating room, so anesthesiologists tend to place cannulas in the hands as they are less likely to kink and permit more proximal placement of additional PIVs. If you blow an IV in the…
Peripheral intravenous (IV) access is utilized for volume resuscitation, medication administration, blood product transfusion, nutrition, lab draws, and many other reasons. It’s a skill which anesthesiologists perfect through experience but often poses a challenge to new trainees. Let’s discuss the basic set up and some tips.