CRNA

Perils of Worshiping at the Altar of Healthcare Technology Advancements

Advancements in healthcare technology can be exciting, but also troubling. During an OR case we were involved with, we listened to two surgeons discuss an article published by the American College of Surgeons entitled AI …

What Every CRNA Needs to Know about the Maintaining Anesthesia Certification (MAC) Program

Have you heard? The NBCRNA is transitioning the CPC Program to the Maintaining Anesthesia Certification (MAC) Program. This represents a significant shift towards a more streamlined approach to CRNA recertification. You’re not alone if you’re …

Avoiding Cognitive Decline and Dementia after Anesthesia in Our Older Patients

We need to talk about another elephant in the room. The risks of postoperative delirium and cognitive insult which may present as dementia may be mitigated or even avoided with the right preoperative assessment. But …

Putting Interprofessional Collaboration of Nurse Anesthetists and Surgeons under the Microscope

‘Surgery!’ Can you tell me if things are OK down there? You’ve likely never addressed your surgeon as ‘Surgery!’ and perhaps you’ve not been addressed by a surgeon as “Anesthesia!” instead of the name your …

GLP-1 Agonists and Anesthesia: From a Desert Lizard to the Patient

We’ve heard a lot about glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists lately, primarily via the brand names Ozempic and Wegovy. These types of medications can help manage blood sugar levels, however early research is showing …

Should Medical Errors Be Criminalized? Consider the Sword of Damocles

Human error is inevitable, and criminalizing it can impede the transparency needed to learn from our mistakes. We discuss an example that details the importance of avoiding criminalizing medical errors and instead focusing on systemic …

Chronic Exposure to Toxins, Even What You Don’t See (or Feel or Smell) Might Hurt You

In a much earlier Blog Post, we highlighted some threats to our overall well-being from years of clinical service. In that post, we avoided focusing on unseen environmental threats, like what is in the air …

The Importance of Medical Eponyms, Because There is More to a Name than You May Realize

The language we use daily in our personal and professional lives is peppered with many eponyms. In fact, the OR is a common place to find medical eponyms. So what are these linguistic marvels? Consider: …

Endotoxin Testing Using Horseshoe Crab Blood

Did you know?, blue-blooded crabs save millions of lives every year. Dive into this article to explore the science behind endotoxin testing and the ongoing efforts to safeguard both human health and these fascinating creatures. …

Local Anesthetic Toxicity in Pediatric Dentistry: When a Little Numbing Goes Too Far

We’ve recently become aware of pediatric cases, one currently under litigation, where the outcome in the dental office went very poorly. We want to examine the issue central to these cases, pertaining to local anesthetic …