Elsevier Publishes First Edition of Non-Operating Room Anesthesia

PHILADELPHIA, August 1, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

New title addresses the challenges and opportunities of anesthesia in non-traditional settings 

Elsevier, a world-leading provider of scientific, technical and medical information products and services, today announced the availability of the first edition of Non-Operating Room Anesthesia (NORA), which focuses on the growing national trend to perform more procedures outside of the traditional hospital operating room. This trend has led many anesthesiology departments to reconfigure protocols, and NORA co-authors Dr. Mark S. Weiss and Dr. Lee A. Fleisher address the challenges and new opportunities the industry will face.

"Non-Operating Room Anesthesia is the most current and advanced resource in this area of anesthesiology," said Fleisher. "It was time to address topics that could provide best practices for how to minimize risk, ensure patient safety and create successful outcomes in more common, yet non-traditional settings."

The practice of anesthesiology is changing rapidly. Today, the need for anesthesiologists outside of the operating room will continue to increase as the number of minimally invasive procedures increases in radiology suites, catheterization laboratories, gastrointestinal endoscopy and bronchoscopy suites. Currently, anesthesiologists spend 10-15 percent of their time on procedures in remote locations; this number is projected to reach as high as 60 percent over the next three years.

The topics discussed in this new textbook include comprehensive coverage that is of growing importance to anesthesiologists. Each section includes a brief overview describing the non-operating room venue and a summary of the approach to the procedure. Additionally, sections include key points, a description of common drugs used in the procedure and a checklist for required equipment. The first edition of NORA covers the following topics:

• Risk Assessment: NORA addresses several issues concerning management of risk and differences in procedures. Currently, there is no other guide that addresses these issues for the increasing number of procedures being performed outside the operating room setting.
• Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory: Over the years, the use of the electrophysiology lab (EPL) and cardiac catheterization laboratory (CCL) in the care of the critically ill patient has greatly evolved. The procedures are often more complex, time consuming and technically challenging. To help ensure patient safety and success of the procedure, it is imperative that there is effective collaboration between the cardiologist and the anesthesiologist.
• Patient Assessment: A pre-procedure history must include not only the typical questions of a normal health examination, but also a comprehensive review of all previous cardiac interventions. Circumstances in which a procedure should be postponed or cancelled are presented.
• Anesthetic Considerations: Unlike the operating room where delivering an anesthetic is a structured and consistent process, this is not the case in remote locations, as each venue has specialty equipment. Important communication in the venue along with key preparation for anticipated concerns or complications are addressed.