Jamie Zuniga: Don’t end medically supervised anesthesia [MI]
Posted over 8 years ago by Nicholas M Perrino
An unfortunate editorial piece that dramatically recounts a medical emergency--a single case offered with limited perspective, little detail, and incomplete information--rallying against independent practice by CRNAs in the state of Michigan. Another anecdotal story (that may have happened) that embarrassingly ignores the facts, evidence, and value of CRNAs. What about all the cases where a CRNA prevented major harm or death to a patient due to a mistake (or potential error) by an anesthesiologist?
"The physician anesthesiologist supervising her care recognized the rare interaction of the nasal spray and made the important decision not to give a drug recommended by the nurse anesthetist at her bedside — a drug that would have caused a near irreversible heart failure.
Physician supervision care saved her life, and has saved countless others across the state, but care like this is at risk as some in Lansing consider dangerous new legislation.
Senate Bill 320 would eliminate the state requirement that a physician supervise anesthesia care, and leave the care of children like these solely in the hands of nurse anesthetists, despite many fewer years of education and thousands of hours less training.
More frightening for parents like me, it would dramatically expand the places and situations where non-physicians are permitted to practice anesthesia without any involvement or supervision by a physician.
Places like mobile dental trailers and radiological suites, which often already lack the kinds of life-saving equipment we've all come to expect from hospitals and physicians' offices, would be permitted to offer full, deep sedation anesthesia.
In other words, if this bill passes, and someone else's son or daughter experiences a life threatening complication, a physician may not even be in the same building.
Physician supervision matters because experience and training matter. Physicians have well over a decade of education and specialized training to evaluate patients before they receive anesthesia or undergo treatments for chronic pain.
Supervision means that physicians are responsible for developing the plan for care and for its safe delivery. When serious complications arise, physicians are able to diagnose them rapidly and treat them more safely and effectively."