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The Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP),the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Society for Pediatric Anesthesia (SPA) the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM) aim to clearly reassure pregnant women that the article “Association Between Epidural Analgesia During Labor and Risk of Autism Spectrum Disorders in Offspring,” a new retrospective database study published in JAMA Pediatrics on October 12th, 2020 does not provide credible scientific evidence that epidurals for pain relief cause autism.

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Beverly K. Philip, M.D., FACA, FASA, founding director of the Day Surgery Unit at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and professor of anaesthesia at Harvard Medical School in Boston, was today named president of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the nation’s largest organization of physician anesthesiologists.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced Michael W. Champeau, M.D., FASA, has been named first vice president of ASA. Dr. Champeau was elected at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting and will serve for one year.

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News Release Index – ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020

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Not only might cannabis users require more anesthesia during surgery than non-users, they may have increased pain afterwards and use higher doses of opioids while in the hospital, suggests first-of-its kind research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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Veterans who have acupuncture before surgery report less pain and need far fewer opioids to manage their discomfort, according to a randomized, controlled study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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Patients who saw a pain medicine specialist via telemedicine saved time and money and were highly satisfied with their experience, even before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a study being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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Universal COVID-19 testing of children who are having procedures requiring anesthesia promotes efficient use of personal protective equipment (PPE), according to research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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Artificial intelligence (AI) used in machine learning models can predict which patients are at highest risk for severe pain after surgery, and help determine who would most benefit from personalized pain management plans that use non-opioid alternatives, suggests new research being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Ru-Rong Ji, Ph.D., with its 2020 Excellence in Research Award in recognition of his extensive research career focused on understanding the molecular and cellular basis of pain.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Robert D. Sanders, B.Sc., M.B.B.S., Ph.D., F.R.C.A., with its 2020 James E. Cottrell Presidential Scholar Award in recognition of his outstanding work in anesthesia and translational research.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Albert J. Varon, MD, MHPE, FCCM, FASA, with its 2020 Excellence in Education Award in recognition of his exemplary educational initiatives and programs that have been adopted into anesthesiology training programs at the state and national level.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today presented Patricia A. Kapur, M.D., with its 2019 Distinguished Service Award in recognition of her long and highly distinguished career as a physician anesthesiologist, administrator and educator.

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Researchers have identified genetic mutations that appear to protect women from severe bleeding after childbirth, a leading cause of maternal death.

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When it comes to surgery, minority children lag far behind white children, according to two analyses of large national databases being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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Almost 20 years into the opioid epidemic, there finally is evidence of significant and continual decreases in the abuse of these risky pain medications, according to an analysis of national data being presented at the ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 annual meeting.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) applauds yesterday’s announcement of an Executive Order by the president to address surprise medical bills. ASA has been committed to ongoing efforts to protect patients while finding a fair solution to addressing these unexpected medical bills.

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We’re only a few weeks away from the largest annual anesthesiology educational event in the world -- ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020 -- the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), where thousands of experts in the specialty of anesthesiology will come together virtually for the first time ever.

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Medicare has proposed drastic cuts to its payment rates for important health care services, threatening the practices of physician anesthesiologists who have been on the front lines of the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) opposes these detrimental payment reductions, and urges Congress to take action to override the budget neutrality requirements that are the cause for these cuts and thereby ensure physician anesthesiologists can continue to care for their patients while being more fairly compensated for their work.

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African American and Hispanic children are less likely to have surgery than white children. People who use cannabis need more pain medicine during and after surgery. Some good news—opioid abuse is down. These studies are among the significant and newsworthy research being presented at ANESTHESIOLOGY® 2020, the annual meeting of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Oct. 2-5, which is all-virtual this year.

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The recent resurgence of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) has many states near or at bed and intensive care unit (ICU) capacity, and health care facilities’ ability to meet the ongoing needs of surgical patients may be stressed by new influxes of COVID-19 patients admitted to health care facilities. To ensure health care organizations, physicians, and nurses remain prepared to meet these demands to care for patients who undergo recommended essential operations, the American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and American Hospital Association (AHA) have developed a Joint Statement: Roadmap for Maintaining Essential Surgery During COVID-19 Pandemic. This joint statement provides a list of principles and considerations to guide physicians, nurses, and hospitals and health systems as they provide essential care to their patients and communities. This joint statement builds on the Joint Statement:

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The Arizona Society of Anesthesiologists (AzSA) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) strongly oppose Governor Doug Ducey’s decision to “opt-out” of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ physician supervision requirement, which dismantles the anesthesia care team model in Arizona by allowing nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia without physician supervision. Only 28% of Arizona voters support the governor’s exemption to this federal regulation that requires nurse anesthetists to administer anesthesia under the supervision of a physician.

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New research shows hospitals that use of a Perioperative Surgical Home (PSH) model of care may be more likely to achieve good clinical outcomes and lower costs of care for their surgical patients, than hospitals without a PSH program.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has received the prestigious “Accreditation with Commendation” designation from the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) in recognition of ASA’s high quality continuing medical education (CME) program. Of the applicants eligible to apply for “commendation,” approximately 10% receive the designation.

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Physician anesthesiologists have been on the frontlines caring for COVID-19 patients throughout the country, but in New Hampshire physicians have innovated with a Tele-Intensive Care Unit (TeleICU) hub to collaborate with physicians in rural hospitals to ensure infected patients from across the state get critical care expertise at no expense while receiving care close to home.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) announced David Siegel, M.D., FASA, director and past president of the New Mexico Society of Anesthesiologists (NMSA), received the 2020 Bertram W. Coffer, M.D., Excellence in Government award, given in recognition of exemplary contributions to the medical specialty of anesthesiology, its practitioners and patients.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists firmly opposes the use of ketamine or any other sedative/hypnotic agent to chemically incapacitate someone for a law enforcement purpose and not for a legitimate medical reason. Ketamine is a potent analgesic, sedative and general anesthetic agent which can elevate blood pressure and heart rate, and can lead to confusion, agitation, delirium, and hallucinations. These effects can end in death when administered in a non-health care setting without appropriately trained medical personnel and necessary equipment.

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The Anesthesia Quality Institute (AQI), a related organization of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), announced today a quality-driven initiative dedicated to further developing the National Anesthesia Clinical Outcomes Registry (NACOR), the largest anesthesia registry in the country. The initiative, supported by Edwards Lifesciences, represents a shared vision between AQI and Edwards to improve data collection and analysis, including new tracking and feedback of intraoperative hypotension (low blood pressure), to better inform future quality standards that can positively impact patient outcomes.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) yesterday urged the New Hampshire Supreme Court to uphold the New Hampshire Medical Board’s decision that health care professionals using the term “anesthesiologist” must be licensed physicians and meet all the requirements to practice medicine in the state, according to an amicus curiae brief filed on behalf of ASA and the American Medical Association (AMA).

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Anesthesia professionals urge the public to wear masks to stop spread of COVID-19

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To bring a full range of perioperative health care news and information to physician anesthesiologists, surgical care team members and health care executives, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced its expanded partnership with Wolters Kluwer to publish and relaunch its publication the ASA Monitor

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A recent survey of anesthesia administrators and executive members of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) finds a majority of physician anesthesiologists pivoted from working in the operating room to treating COVID-19 patients in critical care units and ICUs, making the most of their expertise in intubation, ventilation strategies, and critical care medicine, which includes all aspects of resuscitation with multiorgan failure.

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Health insurance companies around the country are using aggressive negotiating tactics to terminate physician contracts, forcing physicians out of network with little or no notice and increasing the likelihood that patients will receive surprise medical bills. The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) has implored Alex M. Azar II, secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to press insurers to reinstate terminated contracts and to implement a moratorium on cancellations and terminations during this national health emergency.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) urges Americans to protect our nation’s Veterans by asking the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to reverse its memorandum that dismantles the successful anesthesia care team, removes physician anesthesiologists from surgery and replaces them with nurses, lowering the standard of care for Veterans and jeopardizing their lives.

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Your knee replacement, cataract removal, hernia repair or other elective surgery was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and now your doctor is calling to reschedule, but you are unsure. As the curve of new COVID-19 cases begins to flatten in the United States, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) is providing guidelines so you know when it’s safe to have surgery.

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A multidisciplinary panel of experts including a surgeon, hospital executive, nurse executive and physician anesthesiologist will address attendees during a special webinar titled, “Challenges and Strategies in Restarting and Expanding Elective Surgery After COVID-19.” The panel will review the joint statement “Roadmap for Resuming Elective Surgery after COVID-19 Pandemic” and provide individual perspectives and information on patient/case priority, patient/family comfort, testing and workforce issues, personal protective equipment, sites of care, workforce resiliency and “go forward” plans, including reimbursement, regulatory needs and financial control. ASA has been facilitating and steering health care institutions in their efforts to return to surgery and get back to business.

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As the COVID-19 surge wanes in different parts of the country, patients’ pent up demand to resume their elective surgeries will be immense. To ensure patients can have elective surgeries as soon as safely possible, a roadmap to guide readiness, prioritization and scheduling has been developed by the American College of Surgeons (ACS), American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Association of periOperative Registered Nurses (AORN) and American Hospital Association (AHA).

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As the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) continues to collaborate with the Administration, Congress and other officials on ways physician anesthesiologists can help treat patients during the COVID-19 pandemic, ASA President Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., MSHCA, FACHE, FASA, sent a communication to the White House commending the Administration for its work to date and formalizing key ASA recommendations to address top health concerns. In the communication, Dr. Peterson urges the Administration to continue to prioritize actions to expand access to personal protective equipment (PPE), to provide robust economic relief to physician anesthesiologists’ practices and to increase access to ventilators which include anesthesia gas machine ventilators, while considering expanding access to critical care providers.

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Anesthesia professionals – who are in close contact as they help patients breathe through airway equipment – are at increased risk of exposure to COVID-19 and should wear N95 masks or similarly protective equipment in all diagnostic, therapeutic and surgical procedures, according to an updated statement from The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF), the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants (AAAA) and the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA).

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As anesthesia professionals are at an increased risk of exposure in caring for patients diagnosed with COVID-19, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) and American Association of Nurse Anesthetists (AANA) issued a joint statement today on the best use of personal protective equipment during the pandemic.

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Anesthesiologists treating patients at the forefront of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan, China, share valuable lessons for other practitioners as the wave of coronavirus infections rolls through other countries. Their first-hand accounts are combined with scholarly review articles in a special article series published today in ANESTHESIOLOGY, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA).

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) today announced recommendations for facilities in areas with growing rates of COVID-19 to reduce non-urgent surgical, diagnostic, and interventional procedures.

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To help physicians safely and effectively alleviate pain and encourage optimal opioid stewardship in patients following surgery, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) and the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) today released the Pain Alleviation Toolkit. The toolkit provides physicians and patients with resources to encourage communication and decision-making to help reduce patients’ postoperative pain as much and as safely as possible.

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A national, non-scientific survey from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) finds that more than 96% of respondents treated a patient 65 or older in 2018. However, despite guidelines, more than 80% physician anesthesiologists rarely or never perform preoperative screening for cognitive impairment or frailty for older surgical patients.

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With nearly 50 million outpatient surgeries performed in the U.S. each year and the increasingly complex nature of the procedures, patients need to know several important details when having surgery without an overnight stay in the hospital, says the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA). Updated fasting restrictions, removing jewelry to reduce the risk of burns and asking about regional blocks for non-opioid pain control when undergoing anesthesia are a few important factors that could lead to increased satisfaction and safer outcomes.

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A new national survey from the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) finds physician anesthesiologists are being forced out of network as insurance companies terminate their contracts, often with little or no notice.

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Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), representing more than 54,000 members, applauded the House Ways and Means Committee’s legislative framework to address surprise medical bills, while encouraging further refinement of the legislation. “We applaud the Ways and Means Committee for its continued efforts to protect patients from surprise medical bills and we are encouraged by the legislative framework. It is an improvement over other House Committees’ work product,” said ASA President Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., MSCHA, FACHE, FASA. “We look forward to continuing to work with Congress and this Committee to refine and improve the legislation, especially to ensure that any solution ensures a fair playing field for disputes between insurance companies and physicians. In particular, we urge the Committee to refine the proposal by eliminating the median in-network rate-setting mechanism.”

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Today, the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), representing more than 54,000 members, expressed serious concerns with the surprise medical bills legislation released by the House Education and Labor Committee as drafted. The Society expresses strong support amendments to address the bill’s pro-insurer orientation.

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The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today announced the launch of two new monthly podcasts for physician anesthesiologists, the anesthesia care team, residents, medical students and anesthesiology community.