October 22, 2019

• Anesthesiologists: Be physicians, not proceduralistsU.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams, M.D., M.P.H., is calling on anesthesiologists to improve the health in their communities by championing their roles as physicians over that of proceduralists.Read More
• Severinghaus Lecture: No two lungs are alikeJeanine P. Wiener-Kronish, M.D., understands physiology from bench to bedside to operating table. For 11 years, she’s been Chair of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. But she also spent 35 years doing clinical research.Read More
• The power of women anesthesiologistsFemale physician anesthesiologists shouldn’t have to break a glass ceiling to achieve success. Women can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with their male counterparts with confidence and improved negotiation skills.Read More
• Question of the Day: What has been the highlight of the meeting for you?On this final day of ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2019, the ASA Daily News staff asked attendees to reflect on their time at the annual meeting.Read More
• Does MIPS reporting improve quality?Health care professionals are divided over the current Merit-Based Incentive Payment System (MIPS) program that determines Medicare payment adjustments based on provider care. Read More
• Having a plan and sticking to it can help reduce extubation failuresDeath and permanent brain damage still occur in a number of patients with extubation failure. That’s the word from the ASA Closed Claims Project Database and the focus of Monday’s session “Extubation of the Difficult Airway with a Focus on Patient Outcomes.”Read More
• The anesthesiologist’s role in reducing maternal mortality and morbidityIt could be a headline straight out of the pioneer days, when maternal mortality rates were abysmal. Yet in 2019, news headlines about maternal morbidity and mortality remain modern-day health care problems.Read More
• A spoonful of honeyA spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but two spoonfuls of honey every 10 minutes on the way to the emergency department can minimize necrotic damage in a child who has ingested a button battery.Read More
• Reducing same-day nausea and cognitive declineIn and out the same day might sound nice to patients undergoing ambulatory surgery. But it may put them at a risk of post-discharge nausea and vomiting (PDNV) and post-operative cognitive dysfunction (POCD).Read More

October 21, 2019

• Anesthesiology and Pixar: An unlikely but fitting pair in Gertie Marx LectureDisney and Pixar are not only popular in Orlando, each was a part of the theme for Sunday’s “SOAP Gertie Marx Honorary Lecture – Obstetric Anesthesia: Are We There Yet?”Read More
• Compensation of men vs. women in anesthesia: Exploring gender pay equityIs there a pay disparity between male and female anesthesiologists? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. The newest data ASA has on this issue and strategies for change are the focus of the Monday session “Compensation Trends in Anesthesiology: A Report on the ASA Survey.”Read More
• FAER-Helrich Lecture: The perioperative neurotoxicity puzzleIt may be years before the scientific community arrives at any conclusions about the relationship between anesthetics and Alzheimer’s disease. But that doesn’t let today’s anesthesiologists off the hook.Read More
• Enhanced recovery after lung surgery is a marathon, not a sprintIn January 2019, the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) Society and the European Society of Thoracic Surgeons (ESTS) published guidelines for enhanced recovery after lung surgery. It was a much-needed set of principles.Read More
• Researching without a grant requires resourcefulnessResearch is a critical component for furthering medical treatment, but it can seem almost impossible to undertake without the support of a grant. With the right resources and type of study, launching a research project is not only possible, it may be the best way to secure grant money for your next project.Read More
• Question of the Day: Do you believe political advocacy is important for anesthesiology?The ASA Daily News wants to know if you believe political advocacy is important for anesthesiology. How do you advocate or plan to advocate for the specialty?Read More
• Anesthesia challenges for morbidly obese patientsObesity is far too common in the United States. Predictably, morbid obesity – even ultra-obesity – is steadily becoming a regular health care challenge for patients and their physicians.Read More
• Outsmart burnoutJob burnout isn’t a medical diagnosis listed in the DSM-5. In fact, it can be hard to define. The usual description includes emotional exhaustion, a sense of detachment and a feeling of disillusionment caused by chronic work stress.Read More
• Truth or dogma?When medical traditions and dogma clash with research and evidence, it’s time to consider the clinical implications to patient care. Not everything is what it seems.Read More
• The how and why of hemorrhage controlTraumatic injuries are a leading cause of death and disability throughout the world. War, gun violence, suicide attempts, road traffic injuries and falls can result in critical hemorrhage.Read More

October 20, 2019

• The key to quality patient care is connectionA doctor’s ability to keenly observe a patient in detail is part of a ritual that has, for centuries, connected doctors with their patients. But this process is becoming endangered as the demands of Big Data threaten this critical component of the diagnostic process.Read More
• Novel research earns top ASA and peer recognitionOn Saturday, ASA recognized this year’s recipients of the 2019 Award for Excellence in Research and the James E. Cottrell, M.D., Presidential Scholar Award. Anesthesiology Editor-in-Chief Evan D. Kharasch, M.D., Ph.D., introduced the recipients.Read More
• Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed? Maybe not after overnight callAnesthesiology residents typically work between 64 and 70 hours per week. With on-call duty, that can mean working up to 24 hours straight with little or no sleep. Of course, residents aren’t the only ones rubbing their eyes. Many practicing anesthesiologists work long hours and overnights, too.Read More
• Anesthesiology in the heat of the intraoperative momentAnesthesiologists are frequently called upon to make game-time decisions, the consequences of which can be life and death for the patients on the table. In yesterday’s session “Intraoperative Critical Care: How Best to Succeed When All Seems Lost,” three panelists shared wisdom on how to manage three particularly challenging scenarios.Read More
• Advocacy continues in Orlando; New mobile technology used in surprise medical bill fightASA members continued their dedication to advocacy and patient safety during ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019. In addition to continued support for advancing the specialty, attendees have been using new mobile technology to advocate for a top policy priority–ending surprise medical bills.Read More
• Question of the Day: Why is the ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting valuable to you?The ASA Daily News asks: Why is the ANESTHESIOLOGY annual meeting valuable to you?Read More
• The importance of physician-led anesthesia carePhysician-led anesthesia care has become a hot topic in many discussions and education sessions at ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019. By design, ASA is focusing attention on this important topic as a means to improve patient care.Read More
• Going forward with a nod to the pastMedical history books spotlight important discoveries and innovations in anesthesiology, but many more scientific advances and scientists go unnoticed.Read More
• What the hack?There’s no debating it. Medical technology is a must-have today and will be in the future. From electronic anesthetic records to wireless infusion pumps, pacemakers, and other implanted devices, clinicians place implicit trust in the functionality and security of these technologies.Read More
• Is surviving enough?Anesthesiologists are sometimes referred to as the guardian angels of the O.R. They watch over and protect patients through life-saving procedures and through critical illness in the ICUs. But their guardian role is often fleeting.Read More

October 19, 2019

• Say yes to NOThe story of Warren M. Zapol, M.D., could easily be the subject of an award-winning documentary on Netflix. This legendary anesthesiologist pioneered advances in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and he discovered a life-saving use for a poisonous gas.Read More
• On the front lines of careIn the aftermath of a mass casualty, first responders are critical to treating injuries and saving lives. Anesthesiologists can be a valuable asset on the front lines of care.Read More
• Respect among professionals improves patient safetyReshaping stereotypes can improve professional relationships and, ultimately, patient safety. Jeffrey B. Cooper, Ph.D., delivers that impassioned message during today’s “ASA/APSF Ellison C. Pierce Memorial Lecture: Respectful, Trusting Relationships Are Essential for Patient Safety, Especially the Surgeon-Anesthesiologist Dyad.”Read More
• The boomers are comingBy 2030, the number of boomers 65 and older will reach 84 million, nearly twice their number today. While the elderly represent less than 20% of the U.S. population, they receive 35% or more of all surgical procedures.Read More
• Help us understand the anesthesiology resident journey!ASA wants to better understand the journeys of its anesthesiology residents so we can improve your member experience during residency and beyond. Read More
• A Day for New ResearchersThis year, the Foundation for Anesthesia Education and Research (FAER) is partnering with Early-Stage Anesthesia Scholars (eSAS) for the first “A Day for New Researchers” event.Read More
• Single ventricle babies grow upSingle ventricle defects form a subgroup of critical congenital heart disorders. Before 1968, most affected babies struggled to live past infancy. That is when Francois Marie Fontan, M.D., and Guillermo Kreutzer, M.D., revolutionized treatment for these patients.Read More
• Earn patient-safety credit hours and have fun doing itCOME ON DOWN for the ACE and SEE Live! presentation. It’s going to be as much fun as a game show and far more enlightening. Each audience member will become a contestant in this fast-paced test of anesthesiology knowledge.Read More
• Take your child to workIf you’ve ever been challenged by explaining the job of an anesthesiologist to your children, this is the session for you. You’re encouraged to bring your children to Sunday’s fun, interactive workshop “A Day in the Life of an Anesthesiologist.”Read More
• The jury is out on peer reviewDespite advanced training and conscientious attention to detail, anesthesiologists aren’t immune from errors on occasion. What they do after an error is the subject of Sunday’s point-counterpoint session “Peer Review: Blame Game or Quality Improvement?”Read More

October 18, 2019

• Welcome to ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019!Welcome to Orlando and ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019, the only meeting that unites more than 14,000 clinicians, thought leaders and professionals from around the world. As you get settled and prepare for the next four days ahead, we encourage you to take a moment to read through today’s edition of the ASA Daily News.Read More
• Face-to-face in a digital ageAccording to Abraham Verghese, M.D., it might be the most critical moment in an individual’s life – lying on a gurney, almost ready for surgery, and then the anesthesiologist comes to visit.Read More
• FAER-Swimming with SharksBack by popular demand, ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 will host the Saturday session “FAER-Swimming with Sharks: How Anesthesiologist Inventors Can Move Their Ideas Forward.”Read More
• Physician heal thyself … and colleaguesIt’s an important public service message that bears repeating among physician anesthesiologists – if you or someone you know is struggling with depression or suicide, call or text the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) or 741-741.Read More
• The business of medicineFor physicians, the business of the day is about caring for patients. But there is that nagging aspect of practice that is truly business in nature – staff supervision, contract negotiation and conflict resolution. Read More
• Opioids and anesthesiologistsWith the opioid crisis still affecting the nation, it’s important that anesthesiologists are well-educated about the problem – and about potential solutions.Read More
• Get the most from your membership at the Resource CenterLearn how to optimize your practice, advance your skills and support your specialty at the ASA Resource Center, located at Booth 1259 in the Exhibit Hall (Level 2 West Hall A3-B2).Read More
• Follow up on FASA at Member Services boothInterested in earning the FASA? Find out everything you need to know about FASA eligibility at Member Services in the ASA Resource Center in the Exhibit Hall (Level 2 West Hall A3-B2).Read More
• Take the Simul8 Challenge to test skills, win prizesPut your anesthesia knowledge to the test by competing with your peers in video games for daily prizes in the Simul8 Challenge, powered by Airway Ex.Read More
• International Pavilion offers a place to connectASA recognizes that a large number of ANESTHESIOLOGY 2019 attendees are international and is intentional about providing an area for them to network, ask questions and connect with their national societies.Read More