Newswise — Recent reported lapses in proper drug administration techniques have resulted in needless and preventable transmission of infectious disease during anesthetic care. This is highly regrettable and unacceptable professional conduct. As professionals dedicated to the provision of safe anesthesia care, the American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants take this opportunity to emphasize their commitment to optimal patient safety and to speak out regarding the importance of infection control procedures.
Not only do the ASA and AAAA not condone unsafe infection control practices, but both adhere to standards requiring the highest level of care in infectious disease prevention (http://www.asahq.org/publicationsAndServices/infectioncontrol.pdf). Together, the ASA and AAAA recognize that everyone involved in patient care needs to be well educated in the control and prevention of infectious disease, as well as, the strict adherence to all infection control practices. Professionals who cut corners in healthcare services, risk not only the health of their patients, but the credibility of their profession " a profession where the guiding adage is "Do no harm." To do any less undermines the sacred trust that has been given to healthcare practitioners. It is every healthcare provider's responsibility to serve as a guardian for every patient to whom they provide care.
The ASA and AAAA are united against poor infectious disease control practices. The organizations invite all health care professionals to take a stand together to adopt stringent infectious control standards and create an open forum for making infectious disease control a top priority in all healthcare settings.
For more information visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at http://www.asahq.org and the American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants Web site at http://www.anesthetist.org.
Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 43,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
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