Anesthesia

On March 2, leadership from the American Society of Anesthesiologists met with CMS administrator Don Berwick, MD, MPP, and other CMS staff members to discuss patient safety, meaningful use and payment issues, according to an ASA news release.

In a letter to the New York Times, David Farris, MD, expressed concern with describing anesthesia as a "drug-induced coma" to patients, even if the description is medically accurate.

The editors-in-chief of various anesthesia publications, including Anesthesia & Analgesia, Anesthesiology, Medical Science Monitor and Intensive Care Medicine, recently sent a joint letter to their readers, notifying them of the planned retractions of articles submitted by Joachim Boldt, MD.

CareFusion, a global medical technology company, has announced the appointment of Carlos M. Nunez, MD, as its new chief medical officer.

For the first time in the U.S., a death row inmate will be executed with only an anesthetic, according to a Forbes report.

OSI Systems has announced FDA 510k clearance of Enhanced Flow Meter Visualization, which is used in anesthesia delivery alongside the company's BleaseSirius Anesthesia System, according to a company news release.

Perioperative beta-blockade using atenolol is associated with reduced mortality compared to metoprolol, according to a study published in Anesthesiology.

Botulinum toxin A has been shown to be ineffective in treating cervical myofascial pain syndrome, according to an Anesthesiology News report.

Massachusetts General Hospital Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine will provide anesthesia coverage for Martha's Vineyard Hospital in Dukes, Mass., according to a Martha's Vineyard Times report.

A Billings, Mont.-based anesthesiologist was sentenced Wednesday to three years of federal probation for prescription drug fraud, according to a Billings Gazette report.