Anesthesia Patient Safety Podcast

#328 Discharge Is Not The Finish Line Oct 13, 2026 1346 Welcome to the 2nd episode in our coverage of this year's APSF Stoelting Conference. Discharge feels like a win, but what if it’s only the handoff into the riskiest part of recovery? We challenge the OR to PACU to hospital discharge success mindset and zoom out to the full perioperative journey, where real anesthesia patient safety is measured by what patients can do once they’re back home li

#327 SOS! Signals For Perioperative Safety Oct 6, 2026 1460 SOS is more than a maritime relic. It is proof that when people agree on a shared signal, they move faster, coordinate better, and save lives. That is the challenge we wrestle with from the 2026 APSF Stoelting Conference. Healthcare is full of alarms, monitors, checklists, risk scores, and AI predictions, but we still struggle to agree on which safety signals truly matter, what they mean, and wha

#326 Corneal Abrasions After Surgery Sep 29, 2026 986 Eye pain in the PACU can trigger a reflex page to ophthalmology, but that reflex is not always the safest or most efficient choice. We provide considerations for perioperative corneal abrasions including why most are superficial epithelial injuries that heal quickly and how an anesthesia-led protocol can deliver fast relief without missing the rare dangerous presentation. If you’ve been unsure whe

#325 APSF Podcast Takeover: The HSSIB with CEO Dr. Rosie Benneyworth From The Medical Safety Podcast Sep 22, 2026 5594 A patient gets harmed, everyone wants answers, and the system too often responds with blame, silence, or a slow-moving inquiry that arrives years after the frontline has moved on. Today, we are hosting a special podcast takeover show from The Medical Safety Podcast. Hosted by Dr. Adam Shehata (former professional pilot turned physician) and Dr. Amir Hamid (anesthetist and emergency medicine physic

#324 Endotracheal Tubes Are Not All The Same Sep 15, 2026 898 Your airway cart might look fully stocked, but one quiet change can reshape an entire intubation: a different endotracheal tube brand, a new material formulation, a redesigned cuff, or changes in diameter measurements. We take a close, practical look at endotracheal tube materials and design, and why supply chain instability and product discontinuations can turn a “routine” device into a patient s

#323 How Technology Can Speed Training And Strengthen Anesthesia Patient Safety Sep 8, 2026 1258 Your first day in anesthesia can be overwhelming with so many numbers, dials, alarms, and decisions that all land at once, and the stakes are high. We sit down with Dr. Lahiru Amaratanga to ask a simple question with big implications for anesthesia patient safety: how can technology make clinicians learn faster without losing the human touch that keeps patients safe?We dig into practical education

#322 Designing Safer Anesthesia Sep 1, 2026 1789 The fastest way to improve anesthesia patient safety is often to stop asking people to be perfect and start redesigning the world they work in. Dr. Alli Bechtel sits down with Dr. Lahiru Amaratunge, a consultant anesthetist in Melbourne, to unpack how human factors engineering, smarter workflows, and better training systems can prevent harm before it happens.We trace Lahiru’s path from supervising

#321 Safer Dental Anesthesia, PART 2 Aug 25, 2026 1639 A dental office can feel low-stakes until the moment it isn’t. We pick up our conversation with Dr. Rita Agarwal to talk about the real-world safety gaps in dental sedation and dental anesthesia, especially for children, and the practical steps that can prevent a routine procedure from turning into a catastrophe.We walk through the exact questions families can ask before scheduling deep sedation o

#320 Dental Anesthesia Safety Gaps, PART 1 Aug 18, 2026 2327 A dental chair shouldn’t be a place where safety standards slip, yet that’s the reality Dr. Rita Agarwal lays out with unsettling clarity. We talk through why office-based dental sedation and dental anesthesia can slide into dangerous territory: unclear definitions, uneven training, inconsistent monitoring requirements, and a system that often can’t even tell you how many serious complications occ

#319 Four New Studies That Change Daily Anesthesia Safety Decisions Aug 11, 2026 921 Ketamine for emergency intubation has a reputation for hemodynamic stability, but does the best evidence back that up when your patient is truly sick? Today, we walk through four fresh research summaries that sharpen day-to-day anesthesia patient safety decisions, from airway management in shock and sepsis to the way teams and technology shape outcomes in the OR.First, we break down a large random

#318 Air Embolism Alert Aug 4, 2026 995 Air embolism is one of those complications that feels impossible right up until it happens fast, quietly, and with life-altering consequences. We walk through the FDA’s 2025 Early Alert on the Watchman access system for left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) procedures and connect the dots between device exchange steps, transseptal puncture, and the anesthetic choice that can put patients at risk.

#317 Setting Expectations For Safer Cesarean Anesthesia with Dr. Ruthi Landau Revisited, PART 2 Jul 28, 2026 1859 Many patients walk into labor and delivery picturing a birth day, not an operating room, and that mismatch is where preventable suffering can start. We sit down with Dr. Ruthi Landau to get practical about cesarean delivery anesthesia, with a focus on patient safety, respectful communication, and what to do when a patient says, “This isn’t comfortable.”We dig into why setting expectations during n

#316 Safer C-Section Pain Control Revisited, PART 1 Jul 21, 2026 2043 If you’ve ever heard “it’s just pressure” during a C-section and felt your gut twist, you’re not alone, and it may be a patient safety issue hiding in plain sight. We sit down with Dr. Ruthi Landau, the Virginia Apgar Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology at Columbia University, to get practical about what patients actually feel during cesarean delivery anesthesia an

#315 Pain During Cesarean Delivery Jul 14, 2026 1010 Pain during cesarean delivery is not “just pressure,” and it is not rare. We dig into why inadequate pain control during C-section remains underrecognized even as patient-reported data suggest it may be one of the most common anesthetic complications in obstetric anesthesia, with consequences that can reach far beyond the operating room including PTSD, postpartum depression, disrupted bonding, and

#314 PACU Corneal Abrasion Protocol Jul 7, 2026 841 Eye pain in the PACU can feel like an automatic page to ophthalmology, but it doesn’t have to be. We break down postoperative corneal abrasions on the show today. We share practical, clinician-ready guidance drawn from a multidisciplinary PACU corneal abrasion protocol developed with anesthesiology and ophthalmology expertise. You’ll hear exactly what to ask and look for when a patient reports blu

#313 Individualized Multimodal Analgesia Jun 30, 2026 1022 “Opioid-sparing” sounds like an automatic win until you look closely at what replaces the opioids. We take on one of the toughest questions in modern anesthesiology: how do we reduce opioid-related harm without trading it for medication interactions, kidney injury, bleeding risk, rebound pain, or poorly controlled postoperative pain?We break down what individualized multimodal analgesia really mea

#312 Hantavirus Readiness For Anesthesia Teams Jun 23, 2026 940 A virus can feel “far away” right up until it lands in a preop bay with a fever, abdominal pain, and a story that only makes sense weeks later. We walk through what anesthesia, perioperative, and critical care teams need to know about hantavirus, why the incubation period (often 7 to 42 days) complicates detection, and how the Andes virus changes the conversation because it is the only hantavirus

#311 From Cable Chaos To One Step Airway Access Jun 16, 2026 821 Twenty-two steps to reach an airway is not a quirky workflow problem, it’s a patient safety problem. We’re turning our attention to a neuro-interventional radiology (Neuro IR) suite where cables, monitors, and a poorly positioned anesthesia machine created a cramped, high-friction non-operating room anesthesia (NORA) environment. Joined by John Edwards, CRNA, we unpack how a real-world quality imp

#310 Moisture Matters In Anesthesia Circuits Jun 9, 2026 806 Condensation in an anesthesia circuit looks harmless until it starts skewing flow sensor readings or creating the kind of warm, wet environment where microbes can thrive. We pick up the story after the investigation into moisture and mold concerns in GE operating room ventilators, then move straight into the questions clinicians asked most: which filters matter, how low-flow anesthesia changes the

#309 Mold Risk In Anesthesia Workstations Jun 2, 2026 914 Black particles in a breathing system are the kind of finding that makes every anesthesia professional stop and look twice. We’re sharing what a large health system uncovered after concerns for mold and moisture accumulation surfaced inside certain GE Healthcare anesthesia workstations used in operating rooms, especially during longer cases and in humid conditions. What started with a routine insp

#308 We Break Down The Latest Evidence On Safer Anesthesia Care May 26, 2026 873 Delirium, pain, and prolonged ventilation can feel like “expected” bumps in perioperative care until you look closely at the data. We walk through four recent APSF In the Literature reviews and pull out what’s actually actionable for anesthesia patient safety right now, with clear numbers and real-world implications.First, we dig into a randomized controlled trial of S-ketamine for elderly patient

#307 Perioperative Safety In Low And Middle-Income Countries May 19, 2026 1067 The world has the knowledge to make anesthesia safer, but too often it’s the basics that are missing where the need is greatest. We’re talking about perioperative patient safety in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where a smaller share of surgical volume can still carry a massive share of perioperative death and disability. That imbalance isn’t inevitable, and it isn’t solved by one tool

#306 Venezuelan Ancestry Anesthesia Alert May 12, 2026 853 Catastrophic neurologic injury after a routine anesthetic is the kind of signal that stops you in your tracks, and that’s exactly why we’re talking about new perioperative recommendations for patients with maternal Venezuelan ancestry. We’ve seen reports of otherwise healthy adults and children who deteriorated after general anesthesia, with sevoflurane appearing repeatedly in the documented event

#305 Lead Infinitely May 5, 2026 917 The fastest way to weaken patient safety isn’t a missing checklist, it’s a team that stops trusting each other. We dig into “infinite anesthesia” and the next step, “leading infinitely,” a practical relational leadership approach designed to build psychological safety, empathy, humility, and civility in perioperative care.We share why anesthesia professionals are uniquely positioned to lead across

#304 Infinite Anesthesia Is Not Unlimited Propofol Apr 28, 2026 930 Workforce shortages and rising demand are squeezing perioperative teams from every side and that pressure can turn colleagues into rivals. We push back on that mindset and explore a different way to think about the future: “infinite anesthesia,” a long-term approach to anesthesia patient care and anesthesia patient safety that prizes trust, teamwork, and a workplace where every clinician is valued

#303 Measles in the OR Apr 21, 2026 739 Measles can walk into your OR before the rash ever shows up, and that’s what makes perioperative measles planning so high stakes. We break down the timing that drives everything: incubation, the contagious window from four days before rash onset through four days after, and how recent exposure during an outbreak should change your elective surgery decisions.We also zoom out to the bigger picture b

#302 Reusable Versus Single-Use Airway Devices When Seconds Count Apr 14, 2026 1049 A difficult airway is hard enough in a modern hospital. Now imagine managing it on a ship, far from resupply, where “availability supersedes preference” and a device that worked last month might quietly drift out of spec. That’s the tension we unpack while exploring reusable versus single-use airway devices in humanitarian anesthesia and why planning is what protects patients when seconds count.We

#301 Pro-Social Operating Rooms Apr 7, 2026 1293 Work stress doesn’t come only from long days and hard cases in the operating room. It also comes from the invisible rules a team lives by: who gets heard, how conflicts get handled, what “efficiency” really means, and whether anyone feels safe enough to speak up. We take on operating room culture change through the lens of pro-social behavior and explain why small, voluntary actions like cooperati

#300 Pro-Social Teams: Safer, Faster, Kinder Mar 31, 2026 936 The fastest way to make an operating room feel unsafe isn’t a broken monitor, it’s a team that stops acting like a team. We dig into pro-social behavior: the small, voluntary actions that support other people and the group, including kindness, cooperation, and gratitude, and why these behaviors can lower cognitive load, strengthen communication, and improve anesthesia patient safety when the sched

#299 Cannabis And Anesthesia Mar 24, 2026 988 Cannabis has gone mainstream, but perioperative risk has not improved. THC products are far more potent than they were decades ago, emergency room visits are climbing, and many patients still walk into surgery thinking that it’s safe. We want anesthesia professionals to have a clearer, evidence-informed way to think about cannabis and anesthesia before the next case. We open the latest APSF newsle

#298 New APSF Brain Health Guidance For Older Adults Mar 17, 2026 1058 Postoperative delirium is one of the most common adverse events after surgery for older adults, and it can change a patient’s recovery, independence, and quality of life. We take a practical, evidence-focused look at what anesthesia teams can actually do to support perioperative brain health, using the latest recommendations from the APSF Brain Health Patient Safety Advisory Group.We walk through

#297 From OR To ICU: How Checklists And Clean Hands Save Lives Mar 10, 2026 878 Transfers don’t have to feel like controlled chaos. We break down how to move a critically ill patient from the OR to the ICU with confidence by pairing structured handoffs with disciplined infection prevention—so information moves seamlessly while pathogens hit a dead end.We start by revisiting the ICU’s influence on anesthesia practice through the story of ARDS and lung-protective ventilation. T

#296 How We Build Safer Anesthesia Teams, One Trainee At A Time Mar 3, 2026 1165 A small air bubble, a missed monitor cue, a late call for help—tiny moments that can change everything. We sit down with Dr. Max Feinstein to unpack how real-world anesthesia education builds safer clinicians, why attention is our most precious resource, and how culture—not heroics—prevents harm. From clear talk about morbidity and mortality to practical tactics like just-in-time simulation and cu

#295 From OR To YouTube: What Happens When Patient Safety Meets Digital Storytelling Feb 24, 2026 1274 Curiosity can change a career—and a field. We sit down with pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist and creator Dr. Max Feinstein to trace how a love of ethics, a pandemic schedule, and a phone camera evolved into a mission to make anesthesia safer through clear, accessible education. From the first CA1 walk throughs to high-stakes cardiac cases, Max explains how video demystifies monitors, medications

#294 From Video Laryngoscopy To ECMO: What Keeps Airway Management Safe Feb 17, 2026 1166 When air meets uncertainty, judgment matters most. We dig into the evolving landscape of airway management where video laryngoscopy, supraglottic devices, and even ECMO promise better outcomes, yet cognitive errors and non‑OR settings still account for many of the most devastating events. Drawing on recent studies, malpractice claims, and national audits, we map the pressure points that turn a dif

#293 Reimagining Anesthesia With AI, Wearables, And Safety Culture Feb 10, 2026 949 What if the anesthesia workstation could see trouble coming and stop it before it starts? We explore how anesthesia moves from reactive to predictive by blending AI, medical-grade wearables, and closed loop systems with a strong safety culture. The story of Alex—a 75-year-old who developed postoperative delirium and fell—anchors the stakes and shows how early signals, if recognized and acted on, c

#292 Forty Years Of Obstetric Anesthesia Progress And The Work Ahead Feb 3, 2026 1056 Maternal safety has never mattered more, and the stakes span far beyond the delivery room. We revisit four decades of progress in obstetric anesthesia—from safer neuraxial techniques and airway strategies to medication safeguards—and then get honest about what still puts patients at risk. With author insights and frontline examples, we connect the dots between evidence, teamwork, and the lived exp

#291 Managing Anesthesia Risks for Patients with Acute and Chronic Cocaine Use Jan 27, 2026 912 A cocaine-positive patient rolls into the OR and the monitors look fine—until twenty minutes after induction, when the blood pressure plummets. We unpack that swing from sympathetic surge to sudden crash through two real cases: an emergent trauma laparotomy complicated by asystole and a chronic intranasal user with profound hypotension that only responded to direct-acting vasopressors. From there,

#290 From Blind Needles To Ultrasound: The Safety Revolution In Regional Anesthesia Jan 20, 2026 1022 A remarkable safety story runs through regional anesthesia, from the era of blind needle placement to a modern practice guided by real-time ultrasound, lipid rescue, and reliable team checklists. We walk through the key milestones that cut complications, accelerated block onset, and lowered conversion to general anesthesia, while keeping a clear eye on the hazards that remain. Along the way, we ex

#289 Forty Years Of Anesthesia Medication Safety: What Works And What’s Next Jan 13, 2026 1207 A single syringe swap should never decide a patient’s fate. We pull back the curtain on forty years of anesthesia medication safety to show what truly works—then tackle the hard part: getting proven safeguards into every OR, every time. From look-alike vial hazards to standardization that actually sticks, this conversation blends frontline realities with practical steps leaders can implement now.W

#288 Forty Years Of Perioperative Medication Safety Progress Jan 6, 2026 1159 Seconds define outcomes in the OR, and medication safety lives in those seconds. We take you inside four decades of work by the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation to show how our field shifted from relying on vigilance to building systems that make the right action the easy action. Along the way, guest contributor, Dr. Elizabeth Rebello, shares why standardization, technology, and culture are no

#287 A New Era For PONV: Safety, Guidelines, And Smarter Rescue Dec 30, 2025 1748 Nausea shouldn’t be the most memorable part of surgery. We take a clear, evidence-based look at postoperative nausea and vomiting, from identifying who’s at risk to building smarter prophylaxis bundles and choosing the right rescue when prevention falls short. With guest insights from Dr. Connie Chung, we unpack the Fourth Consensus Guidelines, translate them into practical workflows, and explore

#286 Pediatric Anesthesia Safety: Past Gains, Next Frontiers Dec 23, 2025 1262 Safety for children under anesthesia shouldn’t depend on luck or location. We walk through 100+ years of progress in pediatric anesthesia and focus on the next wave of innovations that can make first attempts safer, dosing smarter, and systems more reliable—especially for neonates and infants who face the highest risk.We start with the historical milestones that changed outcomes: pulse oximetry, c

#285 Safer Smiles Dec 16, 2025 3740 A routine dental visit should never turn into a medical emergency. We sit down with Dr. Rita Agarwal, pediatric anesthesiologist and patient safety advocate, to unpack why dental anesthesia operates on a separate track from hospital-based care—and how that gap can put patients at risk. From the heartbreaking story of six-year-old Caleb Sears to the hard truths about monitoring requirements, staffi

#284 Safer C-Section Pain Control with Ruth Landau, MD Dec 9, 2025 3764 The fastest way to improve post-cesarean recovery is to start before the first incision—by setting expectations, testing the block, and validating what patients feel. We sit down with Dr. Ruth Landau, Virginia Apgar Professor and Chief of Obstetric Anesthesia at Columbia University, to map a safer path from the OR to the nursery: neuraxial-first analgesia, scheduled non-opioids, and small, truly P

#283 How To Plan, Induce, And Recover Patients With Anterior Mediastinal Masses Without Triggering Collapse Dec 2, 2025 1718 Anterior mediastinal masses make even seasoned anesthesiologists pause, and for good reason: a stable, upright patient can decompensate with a single change in position or a single dose of the wrong drug. We walk through a clear, stepwise approach that starts with anatomy and symptom red flags, then translates imaging, echocardiography, and pulmonary function testing into real-world decisions at t

#282 Building Safer Anesthesia Teams In A Locum-Driven World Nov 25, 2025 893 Ever walked into a new OR and spent the first ten minutes hunting for an airway bougie or a computer log-in that actually works? We dig into the hidden safety risks of a transient anesthesia workforce and share practical, fast-moving fixes that keep patients safe while keeping rooms open. With staffing shortages reshaping coverage models across the United States and beyond, locum clinicians are es

#281 Safer Anesthesia, Everywhere Nov 18, 2025 1692 Imagine stepping into an operating room where oxygen isn’t guaranteed, capnography is rare, and one anesthesiologist might serve a million people. That’s the reality many patients face, and it’s exactly where meaningful change can save the most lives. We sit down with Dr. Kelly McQueen, professor of anesthesiology and department chair at the University of Wisconsin, to explore what it takes to del

#280 Speak Up To Save Lives Nov 11, 2025 1431 What if the biggest risks in maternal care are not just clinical, but cultural? We dig into the hard truth that speaking up can feel risky, pain during cesarean is often underestimated, and rare obstetric crises can overwhelm memory. From there, we chart a path toward safer births with practical tools that any team can use: psychological safety to unlock communication, structured pre‑briefs and ra

#279 From Birthrooms To Boardrooms: Preventing Trauma And Elevating Maternal Anesthesia Care Nov 4, 2025 1303 Power, control, and communication shape every birth—and too often, they decide whether care feels safe or traumatic. We dig into practical ways to prevent harm in obstetric anesthesia by centering trauma-informed care, reducing stigma around substance use disorder, and giving real choice during cesarean delivery.We start by distinguishing complications from trauma and laying out the six pillars th

#278 Transforming Maternal Care Through Equity, Science, And Tech Oct 28, 2025 981 Maternal care is at a breaking point: delivering hospitals are disappearing while deaths that could be prevented keep climbing. We pull back the curtain on how structural racism, policy headwinds, and technology blind spots compound risk for birthing people—especially Black, Hispanic, rural, and low‑income patients—and what it takes to change the trajectory now.We start by naming the problem with

#277 Transforming Maternal Care: Faster Sepsis Recognition, Smarter Hemorrhage Response, and Safer VTE Prevention Oct 21, 2025 1027 Welcome back to our 2025 Stoelting Conference Podcast Series. Fever isn’t the fail-safe it’s made out to be—especially in pregnancy. We walk through the subtle ways maternal sepsis hides in plain sight, why a quarter of those who died never had a fever, and how early warning tools, rapid antibiotics, and source control change the odds. From there, we pivot to maternal hemorrhage and show how quant

#276 Maternal Care, Transformed Oct 14, 2025 1143 Maternal safety changes when we stop relying on heroics and start building systems. We open the door to the 2025 APSF Stolting Conference series with a fast, practical tour of what truly reduces morbidity and mortality: collaboration across anesthesia, obstetrics, cardiology, and nursing; open‑source AIM bundles; early warning tools; and standards that compress time-to-treatment when minutes matte

#275 Tracheostomy and Laryngectomy Patient Safety: Bedside Signs, Algorithms, and the Discipline that Prevents Catastrophe Oct 7, 2025 1009 A patient rolls into the OR with a tracheostomy—do you maintain the current tube, intubate orally, or go through the stoma? We break down the decision tree that keeps patients safe, from assessing tract maturity and surgical needs to choosing cuffed vs uncuffed strategies and planning for positive pressure ventilation. Then we shift to a critical safety pivot: total laryngectomy. When the trachea

#274 Critical Decision Points in Emergency Tracheostomy Management Sep 30, 2025 1101 Tracheostomy complications occur at an alarming rate, affecting nearly half of all patients during their initial hospitalization. When these emergencies strike, having a systematic approach can make the difference between life and death.We dive deep into the critical steps for managing a malfunctioning tracheostomy, beginning with immediate actions like cuff deflation and rapid information gatheri

#273 Breathless Moments: When Premature Babies Need Extra Vigilance Sep 23, 2025 1138 When our smallest patients need anesthesia care, their immature systems present unique challenges that demand specialized knowledge and vigilance. The risk of postoperative apnea in former preterm infants has long been recognized, but the evidence guiding management continues to evolve.Join Dr. Alli Bechtel and pediatric anesthesiologist, Dr. Eva Lu-Boettcher as they explore the physiological vuln

#272 Behind the Waveform: Critical Safety Implications of CO2 Sensor Selection Sep 16, 2025 980 Could your CO2 sensor be putting patients at risk? This eye-opening Rapid Response to Questions from our Readers episode explores a serious patient safety concern that every anesthesia professional needs to understand.We dive into two troubling cases where patients under general anesthesia developed respiratory acidosis despite normal-appearing monitoring parameters. The culprit? A semi-quantitati

#271 Empowering Patients: The Key to Safer Anesthesia Sep 9, 2025 932 Patient engagement stands as the cornerstone of perioperative safety, bringing together the knowledge of medical professionals with the lived experiences of those receiving care. Through powerful personal testimonies and expert insights, we explore how this critical partnership transforms surgical outcomes.Vonda Vaden Bates shares her heartbreaking journey that began with her husband's succes

#270 From Fears to Facts: Empowering Patients Before Surgery Sep 2, 2025 965 What happens when we truly listen to patients' fears about anesthesia? The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) discovered something remarkable: despite the wealth of medical information available, patients' most pressing questions about anesthesia remained largely unanswered in accessible language.This episode delves into the groundbreaking work of the APSF Patient Engagement Wor

#269 Infiltrated IV Crisis: Managing Complications and Keeping Patients Safe Aug 26, 2025 868 Every anesthesia professional has encountered IV infiltration—but when neuromuscular blocking agents are involved, this common complication becomes a complex patient safety challenge with no established guidelines.This episode delves into the critical management of infiltrated paralytics, a complication affecting 14% of peripheral IV catheterizations that can lead to delayed induction, compromised

#268 Beyond the Vein: The Dangers of Infiltrated Muscle Relaxants Aug 19, 2025 934 Ever wondered what happens when neuromuscular blocking agents infiltrate into surrounding tissue instead of flowing smoothly through an IV? The consequences can be serious and potentially life-threatening for patients recovering from anesthesia.We dive deep into a complication that affects nearly 14% of the 150 million peripheral IV catheter insertions performed annually in the United States. Whil

#267 Beyond Opioids: Revolutionizing Perioperative Pain Control Aug 12, 2025 1150 Navigating the fine line between effective pain control and minimizing harm from opioid medications remains one of anesthesiology's greatest challenges. This episode dives deep into the evolving landscape of perioperative pain management, examining how clinicians can achieve the delicate balance required for optimal patient outcomes.Dr. Paul Guillod joins us to share his perspective as both a

#266 Protecting the Brain: Perioperative Stroke Prevention Aug 5, 2025 1262 Perioperative stroke represents a rare but potentially devastating complication of anesthesia care. While occurring in less than 1% of non-cardiac surgical patients, this complication fundamentally threatens not just patient outcomes but their very identity. As Dr. Jacob Nadler poignantly notes in our podcast, "By maintaining brain health, we're preserving the essence of who our patients

#265 The Breakthrough Drug Changing Perioperative Pain Management Jul 29, 2025 922 A revolution in pain management has arrived. The FDA's approval of Suzetrigine in January 2025 introduces the first non-opioid analgesic for moderate to severe pain in over twenty years. This breakthrough medication targets the voltage-gated sodium channel, NAV1.8, effectively blocking pain signals at their source before they reach the brain.What makes Suzetrigine remarkable is its precision.

#264 Rethinking Resuscitation in the Operating Room: Beyond ACLS Jul 22, 2025 940 Cardiac arrest in the operating room presents unique challenges that standard Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) protocols simply were not designed to address. This eye-opening exploration with APSF author, Zachary Smith, reveals why traditional resuscitation guidelines fall short when emergencies strike during surgery and anesthesia care.The dynamics of cardiac arrest differ dramatically

#263 Blood Pressure Blind Spots Jul 15, 2025 4351 The standard of care for monitoring blood pressure during surgery hasn't changed in nearly 40 years, despite technological advances that could prevent serious complications and save lives. This eye-opening episode takes listeners inside a recent Capitol Hill briefing where healthcare professionals, lawmakers, and patient safety advocates made the case for continuous blood pressure monitoring

#262 Medical Literature Deep Dive: From Infant Intubation to GLP-1 Agonist Risks and More Jul 8, 2025 954 Ready for a refreshing summer dive into the latest anesthesia safety research? This episode explores three groundbreaking studies that could transform perioperative practice and patient outcomes.First, we examine a fascinating randomized clinical trial on "just-in-time" training for inexperienced clinicians performing infant intubations. The results are impressive: trainees who received

#261 Patient Safety Challenges: From Global Cosmetic Tourism to Pediatric Medication Dosing Jul 1, 2025 948 Navigating the complex landscape of patient safety requires vigilance, knowledge, and adaptability. Today's episode takes us on a journey through two critical safety concerns that exemplify the challenges anesthesiologists face in diverse clinical settings.We begin with an eye-opening exploration of cosmetic surgery safety in Colombia, which has emerged as a top global destination for aesthet

#260 OpenAnesthesia and the APSF: Achieving Safe and Quality Anesthesia Care with Education Innovation Jun 24, 2025 1773 Dr. Elizabeth Malinzak takes us behind the scenes of a fascinating educational initiative bridging knowledge gaps in anesthesiology. As a pediatric anesthesiologist at Duke University and liaison between the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation and Open Anesthesia, she's spearheaded the development of over 30 patient safety and quality improvement summaries designed for today's learners.

#259 Every Move Matters: Why Transport Safety Can Save Your Critical Patients Jun 17, 2025 1109 Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients presents significant safety risks that can be mitigated through proper guidelines, checklists, and handoffs between care teams. The episode examines transport-related adverse events and complications while providing practical tools to enhance patient safety during these vulnerable transitions.• Multiple categories of intrahospital transport advers

#258 Wheels of Risk: When Patient Safety Rolls Through Hospital Corridors Jun 10, 2025 970 The journey between hospital departments can be the most dangerous part of a patient's perioperative experience. This eye-opening episode dives deep into the hidden risks of intra-hospital patient transport. We examine the current literature on transport safety with particular focus on the challenges faced by anesthesia professionals. The data is sobering — between 4-9% of transported patient

#257 Sweet Trouble: Perioperative Management of SGLT2 Inhibitors Jun 3, 2025 1205 Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have revolutionized treatment for type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease—but they're creating new challenges for anesthesia professionals. With more patients on these medications heading to surgery, understanding their unique perioperative risks has never been more critical.At the heart of this issue lies euglycemic ketoaci

#256 Skin in the Game: A Fresh Flow Podcast Takeover May 27, 2025 2450 This is a Fresh Flow Podcast Takeover Show. The need for strong leadership in anesthesiology has never been more crucial. Join us as we discuss structured mentorship programs and the skills required to develop effective leaders in anesthesia. Dr. Mesrobian shares insights into cultivating future leaders and the importance of training in operational management.Here are some of the highlights:• Oper

#255 What You Need to Know Before Going Under May 20, 2025 1638 Fear of the unknown is one of the most significant sources of anxiety for surgical patients. What exactly happens when we're "put under"? Could we wake up during surgery? What side effects should we expect? Our latest episode tackles these common concerns by exploring the APSF's Patient Guide to Anesthesia and Surgery.We walk through a simulated pre-surgical consultation, addre

#254 The Patient's Guide to Anesthesia and Surgery May 13, 2025 1044 Fear of the unknown can make surgery and anesthesia unnecessarily stressful. Approximately 90% of patients experience some degree of anxiety about "going under" before their procedure – worrying about pain, waking during surgery, or post-operative grogginess. But what if patients had reliable answers to their most pressing questions?The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation has developed

#253 When Electrocautery Meets Implanted Devices: What Every Anesthesia Professional Needs to Know May 6, 2025 1197 The safe management of non-cardiac implantable electrical devices during surgery requires careful planning and knowledge of device-specific considerations. We continue our discussion from last week with actionable recommendations for each stage of perioperative care.• Electrocautery poses significant risks including device reprogramming, thermal burns, and damage to neural tissue• Turn off devices

#252 Managing Neurologic Stimulators: A Critical Guide for Safe Anesthesia Apr 29, 2025 1099 The podcast explores comprehensive recommendations for managing patients with non-cardiac implantable electrical devices during surgical procedures, emphasizing preoperative assessment, device interaction prevention, and safety protocols.• Types of devices include vagal nerve stimulators, deep brain stimulators, and spinal cord stimulators• Preoperative evaluation is crucial for identifying device

#251 Surgical Fires: The 30% Oxygen Rule Apr 22, 2025 971 Surgical fires are devastating yet entirely preventable events that continue to occur in operating rooms around the world. This eye-opening episode features biomedical engineer Mark Bruley and anesthesiologist Dr. Jeffrey Feldman, who share decades of expertise investigating and preventing these catastrophic incidents.The conversation reveals why the seemingly simple recommendation to limit open o

#250 Sugammadex in Special Populations: What Every Anesthesia Professional Needs to Know Apr 15, 2025 1138 Sugammadex safety considerations span across patient populations with renal impairment, pediatric patients, and pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, requiring nuanced clinical decision-making based on current evidence and ongoing research.• Sugammadex reversal of moderate blockade is safe and faster than using neostigmine/cisatracurium for patients with renal impairment• Quantitative neuromuscul

#249 Sugammadex Safety: Special Populations, Special Concerns Apr 8, 2025 1008 Discover the critical safety considerations when using Sugammadex, the seemingly "magical" neuromuscular blockade reversal agent that's fundamentally changed anesthesia practice. We delve deep into the science behind this medication and examine its use in three challenging patient populations: those with renal failure, pregnant patients, and pediatric patients.For patients with kidn

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