Anesthesia Practice Management Blogs

Joint Commission surveys have recently cited the lack of documented anesthesia competencies for immediate use mixing. Immediate use mixing is required for urgent infusion preparations when preparations by pharmacy cannot be available in a timely manner. One may wonder why surveys have focused on this problem. The answer is that USP 797 standards are now…

Problem Statement Oxytocin dosing during cesarean section recently came up as a topic of discussion in the anesthesiology department in Tillamook, Oregon. Subsequently, in January 2024, the author performed an informal review of the practice of oxytocin administration during and after cesarean with 15 anesthesiology providers. The general providers reported injecting 20 to 50 units…

In the rapidly evolving healthcare landscape of 2024, the definition of success for physicians and Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) has expanded well beyond traditional boundaries. Beyond simply showing up for work and providing care, success now encompasses various elements such as personal well-being, continuous learning, patient outcomes, resilience and adaptability in the face of…

Medication and controlled substance management is a core premise of anesthesia care. Even though new technological advancements have made it harder for drug abuse, drug diversion, dosing errors, labeling errors and other issues to become problems, it is still up to anesthesia providers to remain vigilant in preventing medication mismanagement. Understanding the most common issues…

The delivery of quality anesthesia care involves much more than anesthetizing patients. Anesthesiologists and CRNAs are part of perioperative teams working together to achieve safe, productive and efficient work environments. Effective leadership is critical to the success of an anesthesia department. At CCI Anesthesia, our goal is to develop anesthesia leaders who go above and…

The purpose of informed consent forms (not to be confused with provider attestation forms) is to ensure the patient clearly understands the risks, benefits, alternatives, risks of alternatives, and, in some form, the likelihood of success. These items are present in the Joint Commission standards, but aside from the standards, the intent of informed consent…

Routine meetings in any department are imperative in order to function as a team and perform at an optimal level. The effective use of meetings is especially important when the department exists within a high-stress, fast-paced environment, as the Anesthesia Department does in the Operating Room (OR). Although the anesthesia service is not technically a…

By Stephen M. Dorman, M.D. Controlled substance management has always been a challenge for an anesthesia practice. Turnover is rapid by demand, and occasionally documentation of controlled substance use does not receive the priority that is required.  The consequences of inaccurate documentation can be devastating. The result of poor documentation can be accusations of diversion,…

By Stephen M. Dorman, M.D. The requirement for the labeling of syringes became part of Joint Commission surveys as one of the National Patient Safety Goals 3. The reason for this NPSG is related to the number of avoidable events that have harmed patients. One recent case involved CRNA #1 preparing medication for CRNA #2.…