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EXTUBATION IS RISKY BUSINESS. WHY THE CONCLUSION OF GENERAL ANESTHESIA CAN BE A CRITICAL EVENT

The Anesthesia Consultant

The most invasive type of airway tube used in anesthesia is called an endotracheal tube, or ET tube. At the onset of general anesthesia anesthesiologists place an ET tube through the mouth, past the larynx (voice box), and into the trachea (windpipe). The blood oxygen level dropped acutely to life-threatening levels.

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AN ANESTHESIOLOGIST CAN SAVE YOUR LIFE WITH ONE FINGER

The Anesthesia Consultant

He was receiving propofol without an anesthesia professional to monitor his airway, breathing, and oxygen saturation. Untreated total airway obstruction can lead to plummeting blood oxygen levels in minutes. Why Did Take Me So Long To Wake From General Anesthesia?

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WAS JUSTICE ANTONIN SCALIA’S DEATH FROM OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA?

The Anesthesia Consultant

If this airway obstruction is not remedied, the oxygen saturation will drop below a safe level of 90%. At these low blood oxygen levels, the brain and heart will be deprived of necessary oxygen. A prolonged low blood oxygen level can lead to life threatening cardiac dysrhythmias or a cardiac arrest.

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DO DOCTORS EVER RIDE IN AMBULANCES?

The Anesthesia Consultant

Why Did Take Me So Long To Wake From General Anesthesia? Will I Have a Breathing Tube During Anesthesia? What Are the Common Anesthesia Medications? How Safe is Anesthesia in the 21st Century? Will I Be Nauseated After General Anesthesia? What Are the Anesthesia Risks For Children?

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FIVE MINUTES. TO AVOID ANOXIC BRAIN INJURY

The Anesthesia Consultant

Some brain cells start dying within five minutes after the oxygen supply disappears, and brain hypoxia can rapidly cause severe brain damage or death. 1,2) In malpractice cases I’ve consulted on, a five-minute window is an accepted duration for low blood oxygen levels to cause permanent brain damage.

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ROBOT ANESTHESIA II

The Anesthesia Consultant

In addition to monitoring the patient’s EEG level of consciousness (via a BIS monitor device called NeuroSENSE), this new device monitors traditional vital signs such as blood oxygen levels, heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure, to determine how much anesthesia to deliver.

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ROBOTIC ANESTHESIA 

The Anesthesia Consultant

Both patients and endoscopists expected deep general anesthesia, not moderate sedation. Gastroenterologists were ill-equipped to shoulder the responsibility of general anesthesia and airway management. Why Did Take Me So Long To Wake From General Anesthesia? Will I Have a Breathing Tube During Anesthesia?