The Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division is warning local residents of a dangerous new drug emerging in the D.C. area that is as deadly as fentanyl. We as neurocritical care practitioners may therefore soon find ourselves caring for patients that have overdosed on this drug and may be suffering from severe hypoxic injury and coma. In the fall of 2019, a new synthetic opioid named isotonitazene made its debut in the U.S. and Canada. The drug, which is not a derivative of fentanyl but is equally as potent, is legal to export from China and was not initially banned in North America or Europe despite not being an approved pharmaceutical product anywhere in the world. However, the DEA has now issued an emergency temporary order placing isotonitazene as a Schedule I drug. Isotonitazene is a derivative of benzimidazole, an opioid analgesic. It is 500 times more potent than morphine and has slightly more potency than fentanyl with respect to causing relaxation, euphoria and respiratory depression. In March 2020, isotonitazene was found in counterfeit hydromorphone tablets sold on the streets of the United States and Canada. There are also reports that this is being mixed with other street drugs such as cocaine. Isotonitazene is a growing public health risk and a real danger to those who misuse drugs, especially users of heroin and cocaine. Street names of this drug including nitazene or ISO may be volunteered by patients and other involved parties. Another major issue for us in the ER and neuro ICU may be that normal toxicology screens do not identify this drug. Luckily, however, the drug is responsive to naloxone. It may be important for us to collect blood samples from patients responsive to naloxone but who tested negative for narcotics in our facilities and send it for analysis to help government agencies track the distribution of this drug. I also suggest that blood samples be sent for patients who present with hypoxic brain injury with unclear causes, especially individuals at risk.

Will Isotonitazene Be Our New Overdose Crisis Drug?

Over the past two years, Saddleback Hospital, in Laguna Hills, Calif., has implemented a robust ERAC (early recovery after cesarean) protocol that includes a transversus abdominis plane block with liposomal bupivacaine for post-op cesarean delivery pain. Results have shown that the protocol has reduced the use of narcotics for the post-op period by 80%, and has improved the overall satisfaction with the post-op period considerably by reducing nausea and vomiting, itching, and constipation. In addition, hospital length of stay has been reduced by one day. According to Steve Garber, MD, a practicing obstetric anesthesiologist for more than 30 years, moms are eating earlier, up and around quicker, and ready and willing to go home earlier. The patient in this case study, who had a myomectomy 20 months earlier, essentially had a very similar surgery to a cesarean delivery. The incision was the same, the uterus was operated upon and the patient remained in the hospital. Her post-op course, as related to Garber and her husband, was vastly different in regard to her narcotic usage and how she felt. She was “out of it” for two to three days, and these were days she was home already. She felt dizzy, wasn’t able to concentrate and was in moderate pain, which is to be expected for the extent of her procedure. So now, we get to compare the experience for the same patient, having essentially a very similar surgery, with a different post-op pain protocol: the ERAC protocol. Of note is the extent of the hemorrhage that occurred, the overnight stay in the ICU, Bakri balloon intervention and the patient didn’t require any narcotics for pain throughout her stay. The patient was amazed how well she felt post-op day 1, back in her private room with her newborn. “Cesarean delivery is the most commonly performed major surgery in the world, with 1.3 million performed in 2019,” Garber said. “Unfortunately, every year 26,000 women become persistent opioid users after cesarean delivery. With a robust ERAC protocol, the reduction of opioid use is quite significant. “If you look at our patient, if no ERAC protocol was used, she would have felt the same, or probably worse, than after her first surgery. Lethargic, out of it, dizzy, and would have been expected to bond with and take care of a newborn. The first hours and days with a newborn are so precious, and I believe all the moms should have the ability and opportunity to experience it with little to no narcotic use.” 

Early Recovery Program Reduces Opioid Use by 80% After Cesarean Delivery

In the previous chapters of “Anesthesiology News Presents The Etherist,” we defined just what physician well-being is, when it came to light and why the concept needs to be addressed at institutional and systemwide levels. We also explored managing the cognitive workload during residency, the stress of working during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the unexpected toll that burnout can leave behind. And now, for the final episode of the series, various experts share their thoughts on how to best recognize and manage burnout, as well as how to strive for an optimal work‒life balance. These aren’t instant fixes, but rather takeaways for anyone, regardless of whether they are struggling or not. There has been no shortage of thought-provoking quotes throughout this investigative series, but the one that has most resonated with us is one that we hope you also hold onto: “When I think about wellness, the first thing that comes to mind is the old cliché of being on the airplane and being told, ‘Put on your own oxygen mask before you help those around you.’ So certainly, in the long run, one cannot be an effective doctor, caring for one's patients, if one does not also care for oneself. However, it’s equally as important that physicians work in environments that support their ability to do that.” Translation: Management can't simply prescribe yoga when the reason for burnout is staffing shortages. Researchers recently found that 62.8% of physicians had at least one manifestation of burnout in 2021; and while the pandemic's peak is over, supply chain issues and staffing shortages still continue. Substance use disorder does affect anesthesiologists, as we know. This might be due to the ease of access to intravenous opioids, propofol and other anesthetic drugs. More sobering is the fact that every year in the U.S., roughly 300 to 400 physicians die by suicide. The ASA has a comprehensive webpage highlighting various help resources, including suicide and physician support lines, well-being apps, a burnout calculator and guides for doctors facing adverse outcomes and malpractice litigation. However, the most important thing to know is that you are not alone. Despite what you may think, many of your colleagues have previously gone through or are even currently experiencing many of the same feelings of burnout. So create a buddy system and know that there's nothing wrong with confiding in a peer, friend or even a trained professional. While your focus is predominantly and perpetually on taking care of patients, it's okay to think about yourself for a change. Because as a former AMA president once said, "The most important patient we really have to take care of is the one in the mirror."

The Etherist Podcast, Season 4: Burnout Prevention Tips and Key Takeaways

In the second episode of Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist, we discussed some of the main causes and signs of burnout. We also explored what it was like to work during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. In this installment, we first examine well-being during residency. Managing the cognitive workload and production pressure can be incredibly demanding, even for seasoned doctors. So, without proper guidance and a strong foundation, the acute setting can easily lead to burnout for residents. We then speak with a European anesthesiologist about cultural differences in the specialty. Just how much better might your life be if you didn’t have to worry about electronic records and patient billing?   Stay tuned for the final episode of Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist, where a variety of experts share their thoughts on how to make the situation better, both at an institutional and an individual level. We hope that their experiences can inspire you. 

The Etherist Podcast, Season 4: Burnout During Residency and Culture

The season premiere of Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist featured Dr. Amy Vinson, the chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Physician Well-Being. Among many other things, she explained why physician well-being needs to be addressed at an institutional and systemwide level. In this episode, we delve deeper into working during the COVID-19 pandemic, the unexpected toll burnout can leave behind and why being mindful of it is paramount. Join us as we talk with several anesthesiologists who’ve taken a hard look at the problem.  Additionally, stay tuned for episode 3 of Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist where various other experts discuss issues in the well-being realm, including managing stress and dealing with the cognitive workload as a resident. We also hear from a European anesthesiologist about cultural differences in the specialty.

The Etherist Podcast, Season 4: Defining Burnout and Physician Well-Being

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, anesthesiologists are being asked to do more than ever with less. Staffing shortages, supply chain issues, administrative burdens, regulatory compliance and unpredictable work hours continue to plague the field and contribute to burnout. This is a universal problem, and these are symptoms of a work environment that’s not conducive to sustainability.Although “burnout” has historically been defined in several different ways, the term is generally characterized by three distinct components: emotional exhaustion (feelings of being overextended and depleted), depersonalization (having cynical and detached attitudes toward one’s work), and reduced feelings of personal accomplishment (involving a negative self-evaluation of one’s own effectiveness and worth).So, what are the main causes of burnout and how can physicians foster a greater sense of well-being? Unfortunately, like any complex problem, there is no single solution. It’s a multifactorial condition that’s rooted in everything from schedules to culture. Anesthesiologists are often treated more like cogs in a wheel than professionals on which the system depends. And that’s what it’s mostly about, right? Simply wanting to feel valued, to be acknowledged as essential rather than expendable.Nevertheless, there’s no scarcity of areas that require change. Do you curse the existence of the electronic health record? If you do, you are not alone. What is basically a billing system (one not designed by physicians) was forced on physicians, with virtually no input from physicians. It changed the way anesthesiologists worked; it changed how they thought; and it changed how they interacted with patients.Additionally, in the push for volume-based care over value-based care, anesthesiologists are often asked to manage not one, not two, but three and even four ORs simultaneously. The expectation to simply get everything done, and as fast as possible, further cultivates this sense of depersonalization. It’s no longer Mr. Pizzi undergoing a total knee replacement; it's just another knee replacement. There’s an undeniable yet indefinable loss of personal achievement without that vital patient connection. Deprived of actually getting to know your patients, a profession that you once loved and maybe even felt a calling to, can slowly erode to feeling like a series of tedious tasks.And without any say in what time a surgery begins or how long it goes on, the inability to dependably plan one’s personal time and achieve a sustainable work‒life balance only further highlights two recurring stresses: lack of control and a feeling of being marginalized.  From institutional to legislative reform, there are countless opinions on how to stabilize the specialty’s turmoil. Yet the one prevailing sentiment is that if there isn’t significant change in healthcare, as well as the way anesthesiologists are viewed and treated, then the mass exodus will not only c

The Etherist Podcast, Season 4: Physician Well-Being

In this new season of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist,” we’re going to examine a topic that’s both spoken about not enough and too much — physician well-being. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, anesthesiologists are being asked to do more than ever with less. Staffing shortages, supply chain issues, administrative burdens, regulatory compliance and unpredictable work hours continue to plague the field and contribute to burnout. This is a universal problem, and these are symptoms of a work environment that’s not conducive to sustainability.Join us on this journey as we speak with several leaders in the well-being field. And since we know that many of you are frankly burned-out from talking about burnout, please skip your mindfulness seminar and tune in, and maybe even find your happy place in the process.This new season of The Etherist will be available on Thursday, October 20. The first episode will feature a true rock star: Amy Vinson, MD, who among many other things is the chair of the American Society of Anesthesiologists Committee on Physician Well-Being.Sponsored by Masimo.

The Etherist Podcast: Season 4 Coming Soon!

In this episode of “Ask the Experts,” Rita Agarwal, MD, joins the show to discuss the efforts in California to pass legislation to change anesthesia delivery in pediatric dental anesthesia cases. Agrawal has played an important role in advising and promoting the need for improved practices in the state, especially when it comes to the sole-operator model of anesthesia delivery.Agarwal is a clinical professor of anesthesiology at Stanford University School of Medicine, in California. She is also the past president of the Society for Pediatric Pain Medicine. She has been working on the efforts to pass legislation on dental anesthesia delivery since 2015.“Ask the Experts” is a conversation podcast series from the “Anesthesiology News Presents” channel. It features up close and personal Q&A interviews with leading experts in the field of anesthesiology on topics such as difficult airways and women in medicine.Links Mentioned:Caleb’s LawDisagreements Persist Over Safety of Dental Anesthesia - Anesthesiology NewsLink to Interview with Peggy Seidman, MD, a SmileMD anesthesiologistTake Our Listener Survey!Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

‘Ask the Experts’: California’s Fight Over Pediatric Dental Anesthesia Care With Rita Agarwal, MD

In this episode of “Ask the Experts,” we talk with Navin Goyal, MD, a co-founder of OFFOR Health, and Saket Agrawal, the CEO of OFFOR Health, about their company’s success in building a mobile anesthesia service aimed at providing office-based anesthesia for dental procedures.Goyal is an anesthesiologist from Columbus, Ohio. He started OFFOR Health to address the problems with patient access to anesthesia care in his community. Agrawal, who is also a Columbus native, spent 10 years working in Silicon Valley gaining experience in building startup-style companies. Goyal and Agrawal now run OFFOR Health and SmileMD, which provide office-based anesthesia care in Ohio, Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee.“Ask the Experts” is a conversation podcast series from the “Anesthesiology News Presents” channel. It features up close and personal Q&A interviews with leading experts in the field of anesthesiology on topics such as difficult airways and women in medicine.Links Mentioned:Link to OFFOR HealthLink to Interview with Peggy Seidman, MD, a SmileMD anesthesiologistLink to the ASA’s Difficult Airway GuidelinesTake Our Listener Survey!Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

‘Ask the Experts’: How One Startup Is Transforming Non-OR Anesthesia

In this episode of “On the Case,” James Prudden interviews Elizabeth A.M. Frost, MD, about some of this most unique and memorable cases of her career.Frost was the original clinical editor of The Frost Series, which bears her name in honor of her contributions to the art of the case study. And she will be the guest editor of the series again in the May and June issues. In preparation for her return to editing the series, Prudden, our editorial director, caught up with Frost to discuss some of the highlights of her career in treating and writing about unusual cases.“On the Case” is an interview-driven podcast series, in which we take a behind-the-scenes look at the popular case reports that are published in Anesthesiology News. We interrogate the authors of those case reports about what it was like to experience those clinical situations and why they decided to write about them afterward.Links Mentioned:Link to The Frost SeriesLink to Submit Your Own Case ReportLink to listener surveyFollow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

‘On the Case’: The Secret to Unusual Cases With Elizabeth Frost, MD

In this episode of “Ask the Experts,” William Rosenblatt, MD, comes back on the show to discuss his work on the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) Difficult Airway Guidelines. He also explains how it took years to build the Airway on Demand video library and why he does it.Rosenblatt is a professor of anesthesiology and otolaryngology at Yale School of Medicine, in New Haven, Conn. He developed the Airway on Demand program to provide educational resources on airway management. He was also a co-author of the ASA’s guidelines.“Ask the Experts” is a conversation podcast series from the “Anesthesiology News Presents” channel. It features up close and personal Q&A interviews with leading experts in the field of anesthesiology on topics such as difficult airways and women in medicine.Links Mentioned:Sign up for Going ROAG seminarRevised Difficult Airway Guidelines Broaden Scope – Anesthesiology NewsASA Updates Difficult Airway Guidelines - Anesthesiology NewsLink to the ASA’s Difficult Airway GuidelinesLink to presentation by Tim Cook on “no trace, wrong place”Send us an email submit a case for The Frost SeriesTake Our Listener Survey!Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

‘Ask the Experts’: ASA’s Difficult Airway Guidelines With William Rosenblatt, MD

“On the Case” is back for another season of in-depth interviews with the authors of the best case reports published in Anesthesiology News. The first episode of the year features L. Jane Stewart, MD, JD, MPH, who co-wrote the review titled “Comatose in the PACU? Remove the Scopolamine Patch” (Anesthesiology News Special Edition 2021;17:81-85).Stewart comes on the podcast to discuss the details behind the case as well as how she and her team were able to determine the right diagnosis despite the uniqueness of the case.Stewart is a senior instructor of anesthesiology at the Denver Health Medical Center, and the director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Colorado, Denver.“On the Case” is an interview-driven podcast series, in which we take a behind-the-scenes look at the popular case reports that are published in Anesthesiology News. We interrogate the authors of those case reports about what it was like to experience those clinical situations and why they decided to write about them afterward.Link to listener survey!Other Links Mentioned:Link to Case ReportLink to Submit Your Own Case ReportFollow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

‘On the Case’: Comatose in the PACU? Check the Scopolamine Patch

Anesthesiology News will be publishing a new season of our popular podcast series, “On the Case” and “Ask the Experts.”“On the Case” is a review series that features the authors of our popular case report series. We hear the behind-the-scenes story on the most unique clinical case studies published in the magazine directly from the professionals who managed them. The first episode of this new season features an interview with L. Jane Stewart, MD, JD, MPH, who co-wrote a case report about a patient who experienced a unique complication from a scopolamine patch.“Ask the Experts” is an interview series that features leading anesthesia experts on topics ranging from airway management to medical mission work and the future of anesthesia practice models. The first episode of this new season will feature an interview with William Rosenblatt, MD, who was a co-author of the new American Society of Anesthesiologists difficult airway guidelines.These episodes will be published later this month. And new episodes from both of these new series will appear every month. Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

New Episodes of ‘Anesthesiology News Presents’ Coming Soon

In this episode, we turn our focus to the present to see how recent research could be used to shape the future of anesthesiology. In previous episodes, we reviewed how the pioneers of anesthesia were able to successfully use ether and chloroform without the full knowledge of those drugs that we have today. In that spirit, we explore whether there is untapped potential in our current scientific expertise that could help improve the delivery of modern-day anesthesia.This season of the podcast began with the retelling of the origin story of anesthesia use. We revisited the classic tale of Ether Day with the benefit of hindsight and almost two centuries of clinical advances. But the stories about William T.G. Morton, Simpson Young and John Snow are also just chapters in a much larger story of medical progress. It is our story, too. While this season of The Etherist is ending, the story of anesthesia continues, as does the push for clinical progress. In this episode, we try to answer the question: What will be the next chapter in the story of anesthesiology?This is the fourth and final episode of season 3 of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist.” Sponsored by Masimo and Medtronic.Suggested ReadingBrown EN, Lydic R, Schiff ND. General anesthesia, sleep, and coma. _N Engl J Med_. 2010;363:2638-2650.   İnce R, Adanir SS, Sevmez F. The inventor of electroencephalography (EEG): Hans Berger (1873–1941). Childs Nerv Syst. 2021;37:2723–2724. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00381-020-04564-z   Gibbs FA, Gibbs LE, Lennox WG. Effects on the electroencephalogram of certain drugs which influence nervous activity. Arch Intern Med. 1937;60:154-166.   Glorfeld J. Hans Berger has a real brainstorm: accident inspires a career and the invention of EEG. Cosmos. November 20, 2020. Accessed November 16, 2021. https://cosmosmagazine.com/health/hans-berger-has-a-real-brainstorm/    Mets B. Waking Up Safer? An Anesthesiologist’s Record. SilverWood Books; 2018.   Purdon PL, Sampson A, Pavone KJ. Clinical electroencephalography for anesthesiologists part I: background and basic signatures. Anesthesiology. 2015;123(4):937-960. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000841   Science News. Electric currents picked up from head show brain action. Science News Letter. 1935;719(27):35. Accessed November 16. https://www.sciencenews.org/archive/electric-currents-picked-head-show-brain-action   Sanders L. How Hans Berger’s quest for telepathy spurred modern brain science: instead of finding long-range signals, he invented EEG. Science News. July 6, 2021. Accessed November 16, 2021. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/hans-berger-telepathy-neuroscience-brain-eegFollow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

Ep 4: The Next Chapter of Anesthesiology (The Etherist, Season 3)

In the previous episodes, we relived the incredible achievements of the discoverers of anesthesia in Davy, Morton, Simpson and Long. But another individual may be just as important to the progress of the specialty as those who discovered it.John Snow was a doctor and scientist in London when he first witnessed a demonstration of ether anesthesia. Even though he was not credited with the discovery of ether or chloroform, he became a leader in the advancement of modern medicine in England.In fact, it was Snow’s forward-thinking mentality that laid the foundation for the spirit of the specialty of anesthesiology: the idea that there is always a better answer to the problem than the one we have now. To do that, Snow developed the first ever anesthesia practice standards to guide his colleagues in the use of anesthesia.In this episode, we turn our attention to our future, and explore how understanding Snow’s original ether anesthesia practice standards was just the first chapter in a 175-year story of anesthesia innovation. We will also discuss the current outlook of our modern research into the development of more targeted anesthesia drugs and more.This is episode 3 of season 3 of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist.” The fourth and final episode of the season will be available on Nov. 23, 2021.Sponsored by Masimo and Medtronic.Suggested ReadingFenster JM. _Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America’s Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It._ Perennial; 2002.Knight PR III, Bacon DR. An unexplained death: Hannah Greener and chloroform. Anesthesiology. 2002;96:1250–1253.   Mets B. Leadership in Anaesthesia: Five Pioneers of the Deadly Quest for Surgical Insensibility. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2021.   Mets B. Waking Up Safer?: An Anesthesiologist’s Record. SilverWood Books; 2018.   Richardson BW. Memoir of the Author: John Snow, Chloroform and Other Anaesthetics. London: John Chruchill; 1858.   Snow SJ. Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaethetics Changed the World. Oxford University Press; 2008.   Sykes K, Bunker J. Anaesthesia and the Practice of Medicine: Historical Perspectives. 1st ed. CRC Press; 2007.Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

Ep 3: The First Professional Anesthetist (The Etherist, Season 3)

The discovery of chloroform was closely intertwined with ether anesthesia because of the relative closeness of their discoveries, but it did not take long for the early pioneers of anesthesia use to understand the enormous difference between the two anesthetic agents.From October 1846 to November 1847, anesthesia providers used ether to ease pain in surgery and it might have seemed as if a golden age in medicine was just beginning, but tragedy would eventually strike the growing specialty of anesthesiology. Hannah Greener’s experience with the use of chloroform anesthesia as a patient would mark a major crisis point for the early advocates of anesthesia.This season of the series is about revisiting the history of anesthesiology while also reimagining those events based on what we know today. But that story can’t be told without also diving into the dangers of the use of anesthesia. It is perhaps the most important piece of knowledge that we possess now, that those early anesthesiologists were not sufficiently aware of at the time.This is episode 2 of season 3 of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist.” Sponsored by Masimo and Medtronic.Suggested ReadingFenster JM. _Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America’s Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It._ Perennial; 2002.Knight PR III, Bacon DR. An unexplained death: Hannah Greener and chloroform. Anesthesiology. 2002;96:1250–1253.Mets B. Leadership in Anaesthesia: Five Pioneers of the Deadly Quest for Surgical Insensibility. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2021.Mets B. Waking Up Safer?: An Anesthesiologist’s Record. SilverWood Books; 2018.Snow SJ. Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaethetics Changed the World. Oxford University Press; 2008.Sykes K, Bunker J. Anaesthesia and the Practice of Medicine: Historical Perspectives. 1st ed. CRC Press; 2007.Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

Ep 2: The Dreadful Discovery of Chloroform (The Etherist, Season 3)

On Friday, Oct. 16, 1846, William Thomas Green Morton changed the world of medicine with his demonstration of vaporized ether anesthesia at Massachusetts General Hospital, in Boston.The discovery and public demonstration of ether anesthesia was not a sudden achievement, though. In fact, it was the results of incremental scientific gains by dozens of scientists from Raymond Lully, the Spanish alchemist who first distilled sulfuric ether in 1275, to Joseph Priestly, the English researcher who developed nitrous oxide in 1774, and finally to Morton.But there is more to the story than those early pioneers could have known. This season we will be retelling and reimagining the story about the dawn of anesthesia use with a slight twist. We will also dive into the latest research into the mechanisms of anesthesia’s effects on the brain—knowledge the early innovators in anesthesia could not have realized in their time.This is episode 1 of season 3 of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist.” Episode 2 will be available on Oct. 26, 2021.Sponsored by Masimo and Medtronic.Suggested ReadingFenster JM. Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America’s Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It. Perennial; 2002.Mets B. Leadership in Anaesthesia: Five Pioneers of the Deadly Quest for Surgical Insensibility. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2021.Mets B. Waking Up Safer?: An Anesthesiologist’s Record. SilverWood Books; 2018.Snow SJ. Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaethetics Changed the World. Oxford University Press; 2008.Sykes K, Bunker J. Anaesthesia and the Practice of Medicine: Historical Perspectives. 1st ed. CRC Press; 2007.Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

Ep 1: October 16, 1846 (The Etherist, Season 3)

Before the discovery of ether anesthesia, surgery was an excruciating experience for patients, their loved ones and even the surgeons who performed the operations.In the 1840s, an important scientific breakthrough changed the course of medical history—the discovery of anesthesia. However, over several decades leading up to that historic discovery, the potential for less painful surgery existed without anyone managing to connect the dots between a series of scientific developments with nitrous oxide and the need for anesthesia in surgery. Those decades presented a stark missed opportunity for all surgery patients of the time, and a true conundrum affectionately known as “laughing gas.”In the prologue for season 3 of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist,” we delve into the decades-long conundrum of the coexistence of anesthesia—in the form of nitrous oxide and ether—and the continuation of painful surgery during the early 19th century.Episode 1 of The Etherist will be available on Oct. 16, 2021—175 years after the original demonstration of ether anesthesia, now known as Ether Day.Sponsored by Masimo and Medtronic.Suggested ReadingFenster JM. Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America’s Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It. Perennial; 2002.Mets B. Leadership in Anaesthesia: Five Pioneers of the Deadly Quest for Surgical Insensibility. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2021.Mets B. Waking Up Safer?: An Anesthesiologist’s Record. SilverWood Books; 2018.Snow SJ. Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaethetics Changed the World. Oxford University Press; 2008.Sykes K, Bunker J. Anaesthesia and the Practice of Medicine: Historical Perspectives. 1st ed. CRC Press; 2007.Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

The Etherist—Season 3 Prologue: No Laughing Matter

In this new season of “Anesthesiology News presents The Etherist,” we celebrate the 175th anniversary of the original Ether Day by looking back at the origin of anesthesiology as a modern medical specialty.We will revisit those early days of discovery and innovation and the people who made it all possible, but we won’t stop with the history of anesthesia. This season we will also dive into the emergence of new research that has revealed the basic effects of how anesthetic drugs work in the first place.Join us on this journey into the past as we uncover what those early pioneers of anesthesia knew and didn’t know as they made one of the most significant medical discoveries in history.This new season of The Etherist will be available on Oct. 16, the 175th anniversary of Ether Day.Sponsored by Masimo and Medtronic.Suggested ReadingFenster JM. Ether Day: The Strange Tale of America’s Greatest Medical Discovery and the Haunted Men Who Made It. Perennial; 2002.Mets B. Leadership in Anaesthesia: Five Pioneers of the Deadly Quest for Surgical Insensibility. Cambridge Scholars Publishing; 2021.Mets B. Waking Up Safer?: An Anesthesiologist’s Record. SilverWood Books; 2018.Snow SJ. Blessed Days of Anaesthesia: How Anaethetics Changed the World. Oxford University Press; 2008.Sykes K, Bunker J. Anaesthesia and the Practice of Medicine: Historical Perspectives. 1st ed. CRC Press; 2007.Follow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

The Etherist—Season 3 Trailer: Ether Day Revisited

In this exclusive feature of “Anesthesiology News Presents,” Jodi Kuhlman, MD, comes forward to share her story of fentanyl addiction and drug diversion for the very first time. Kuhlman’s story was first published anonymously in a feature in the women’s magazine Marie Claire, in 2019. She recently decided to come forward to share her story directly to bring more awareness about the dangers of drug abuse and addiction for anesthesiologists.Kuhlman is an anesthesiologist in Calhoun, Ga. She has also partnered with IntelliGuard in a joint effort to advocate for better drug diversion practices and awareness in hospitals around the United States.“Anesthesiology News Presents” is the podcast network for Anesthesiology News including “On the Case,” a behind-the-scenes look into the popular case reports published in the news magazine; “Ask the Experts,” an up-close and personal conversation series with some of the leading experts in the field; and “The Etherist,” the flagship series that delves into the key stories shaping the specialty in the past, present and future.Links Mentioned:Link to article in Marie ClaireLink to panel discussion with IntelliguardSend us an email submit a case for The Frost SeriesFollow Us:Our WebsiteApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastFind Us on Social:TwitterFacebookLinkedInInstagram

Anesthesiology News Presents

Anesthesiology News Presents

Get Started

Download the App