Departments 

Letters
Should I Continue or Discontinue That Medication?
Allan Schwartz, CRNA, DDS
Print Version: 2009;77(3)170.

Books, Etc.
Pain Review
Reviewer: Bob Halliburton, CRNA, DNSc

The Invention of Air: A Story of Science, Faith, Revolution, and the Birth of America
Reviewer: Evan Koch, CRNA, MSN
Print Version: 2009;77(3)172.

Imagining in Time
Betty Lank: A Kind and Gentle Anesthetist Devoted to Children
Stacey Galvin, CRNA, MS
Janet Dewan, CRNA, MS
Mark A. Rockoff, MD
Print Version: 2009;77(3)176-180.
Keywords: Betty Lank, cyclopropane, nurse anesthesia history, pediatric anesthesia.

Guest Editorial
A Report on the CCNA 2007 Professional Practice Analysis
Timothy J. Muckle, MEd
Nathaniel M. Apatov, CRNA, PhD
Karen Plaus, CRNA, PhD, FAAN
Print Version: 2009;77(3)181-189.
Keywords: Certification examination, Professional Practice Analysis.

 

Nurse Anesthesia Program Requirements for Esophageal/Precordial Stethoscope Earpieces: A Demographic Report
Jennifer Smith, CRNA, MSN
Judith H. Wakim, RN, EdD, CNE
Linda Hill, CRNA, DNSc
The purpose of this project was to determine the number of anesthesia programs that required mandatory purchase of the auscultatory earpiece by student nurse anesthetists. Results revealed that 95% of the responding nurse anesthesia programs require esophageal/precordial stethoscope earpieces for their students, but 45% of those programs provide the earpieces.
Print Version: 2009;77(3)191-192.
Keywords: Anesthesia education, auscultatory earpiece, esophageal stethoscope, precordial stethoscope.

Spinal Anesthesia in Preterm Infants Undergoing Herniorrhaphy
Amber Libby, CRNA, MSN
Spinal anesthesia has begun to gain acceptance as an alternative to general anesthesia for repair of an inguinal hernia in preterm infants. In this review article, the author describes the benefits and risks of spinal anesthesia in preterm infants undergoing herniorrhaphy.
Print Version: 2009;77(3)199-206.
Keywords: Herniorrhaphy, preterm infants, spinal anesthesia.

Anesthetic Management of Acute Subcutaneous Emphysema and Pneumothorax Following a Nuss Procedure: A Case Report
Michael E. Conti, CRNA, MSN
The minimally invasive Nuss procedure has become the standard of care for surgical correction of pectus excavatum. This case report describes the perioperative course of a young patient undergoing the Nuss procedure.
Print Version: 2009;77(3)208-211.
Keywords: Nuss procedure, patient controlled anesthesia, pectus excavatum, Ravitch procedure, subcutaneous emphysema.

Will the Addition of a Sciatic Nerve Block to a Femoral Nerve Block Provide Better Pain Control Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Repair Surgery?
LCDR Tammy K. Jansen, CRNA, MSN, NC, USN
LCDR Brian E. Miller, CRNA, MSN, NC, USN
LCDR Nicolas Arretche, CRNA, MSN, NC, USN
Joseph E. Pellegrini, CRNA, PhD, CAPT(ret), NC, USN
Two common forms of postoperative analgesia used in patients following an anterior cruciate ligament repair (ACLR) are the femoral nerve block and the combined femoral-sciatic nerve block. The purpose of this study was to determine if the addition of the sciatic nerve block to the femoral nerve block is beneficial in ACLR patients requesting regional anesthesia for postoperative pain control.
Print Version: 2009;77(3)213-218.
Keywords: Analgesia, anterior cruciate ligament repair, femoral nerve block, peripheral nerve blocks, sciatic nerve block.

An Update on Sugammadex Sodium
Mark Welliver, CRNA, DNP
Dennis Cheek, RN, PhD, FAHA
Sugammadex sodium is the generic drug name for the novel modified gamma cyclodextrin that terminates neuromuscular blockade induced by aminosteroidal neuromuscular blocking agents. This update focuses on the most recent findings of phase II and III clinical studies.
Print Version: 2009;77(3)219-228.
Keywords: Clinical trials, neuromuscular blockade reversal, sugammadex.

 

AANA Journal Course: Update for Nurse Anesthetists—Part 2—Semmelweis Revisited: Hand Hygiene and Nosocomial Disease Transmission in the Anesthesia Workstation
Chuck Biddle, CRNA, PhD
Hospital-acquired infections occur at an alarmingly high frequency, possibly affecting as many as 1 in 10 patients, resulting in a staggering morbidity and an annual mortality of many tens of thousands of patients. The author states it is vital that all healthcare providers, including anesthesia providers, appreciate the role of inadequate hand hygiene in nosocomial infection and meticulously follow the mandates of the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists
and other professional healthcare organizations.
Print Version: 2009;77(3)229-237.
Keywords: Anesthesia workstation, biofilm, hand hygiene, hand washing, nosocomial infection.