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The Independent Monthly Newspaper for Anesthesiologists AnesthesiologyNews.com • M a r c h 2 0 1 1 • Volume 37 Number 3
Wrong-Site Blocks Vex OR Safety Efforts
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ore than 40 times each week in the United States, a surgeon cuts into a patient or an anesthesiologist places a nerve block, only to realize that the scalpel or needle belonged somewhere else. The true incidence of wrong-site surgery may be substantially higher because these errors are generally self-reported and are not always anonymous, which may discourage reporting (Arch Surg 2010;145:984). And the problem persists despite widespread see wrong site page 36
For Anesthesiologists, Defining Value May Be Key to Future
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his year, physicians at Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minn., will perform roughly 5,000 bone biopsies on patients with cancer or who are suspected of having the disease. The clinicians tasked with shepherding these patients through the institution will not be hematologists, however. Anesthesiologists will
Retractions Come in Boldt Case, Likely Most for Single Author Probe finds 89 papers lacked ethics approval
several ethics experts. (As of press time, not every editor had agreed to the retractions.) Editor’s note: Portions of this article previously In a March 2 joint statement appeared on AnesthesiologyNews.com. to readers, the journal editors he German medical board inves- stated that “The retraction of the tigating the studies of Joachim articles ... for lack of IRB Boldt, MD, PhD, has released a approval means that the list of 89 articles for which it could not research was unethical, find evidence that the disgraced anesthesi- and that IRB approval for ologist had obtained proper approval from the research was misrepan institutional review board (IRB). resented in the published As a result, an international group of 11 article. It does not mean anesthesiology journals has announced that the research results that it is retracting the papers—the most per se are fraudulent. see Boldt page 29 ever involving one author, according to
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Sedation Stethoscope from Sedation Resource, see pages 20 and 41.
perform the intake procedures. They will start the physical examination and ensure the patients have appropriate anesthetic for the biopsy procedure. Although the purpose of the procedure is to detect cancer, the consultation with a hematologist will come at the end of the process. see value page 18
INside 08 | PRN The anesthesiologist goes to Washington: An interview with newly elected Rep. Andy Harris.
12 | technology Scanning the way to safer transfusions.
42 | CLinical Anesthesiology IV fluids and the elderly—an overview.
61 | Pain Medicine Fluoroscopy may improve bursitis injections.
62 | COMMENTARY Ink to AIM: Get in the game.
McMahonMedicalBooks.com Anesthesia: A Comprehensive Review, 4th ed Brian A. Hall,MD; Robert C. Chantigian, MD
see page 59
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see page 15.
Sedation in the ICU: Shifts and Strategies, see insert at page 32.