| |
July 1996
Volume 60 |
Number 7
|
| |
|
| The Evolving Practice
of Anesthesiology Displayed at Scientific and Educational
Exhibits |
Charles H. McLeskey, M.D., Chair
Committee on Scientific and Educational Exhibits
The Scientific and Educational Exhibit Program at the 1996 ASA
Annual Meeting will offer an opportunity for the ASA membership
to interact with clinician and academician exhibitors displaying
new techniques and concepts designed to enhance the future practice
of anesthesiology.
The Committee on Scientific and Educational Exhibits carefully
evaluated and judged blinded exhibit applications utilizing criteria
of originality, clinical relevance, scientific merit and anticipated
visual impact. Approximately 50 exhibits have been competitively
selected for display at the Annual Meeting. Highlighted below
are some of the topics featured this year:
* Several exhibits will demonstrate how "informatics"
has moved into the clinical practice of anesthesiology. One exhibit
will detail the employment of the World Wide Web for preoperative
assessment and postoperative outcome studies. Another exhibit
will describe an intra-institutional network transmission of digital
echocardiographic data. In addition, a departmental intranet Web
server will be displayed. Other high-tech developments will include
computer-assisted auscultation for analysis of breath sound wave
forms during general anesthesia. Finally, an exhibit will demonstrate
how patient data may be compiled to a form so compact that it
is stored electronically on a watchband!
* Annually, a growing category of scientific and educational exhibits
demonstrates interactive hypermedia computer education techniques.
This year, interactive hypermedia exhibits will illustrate new
methods for teaching regional anesthesia techniques and improving
our understanding of the anesthesia machine.
* Several new types of equipment and devices will be exhibited
for our consideration. These include a newly designed endotracheal
tube with the capability for subglottic suctioning, proposed as
a technique to reduce silent aspiration. Similarly, a new video
system to improve teaching of direct laryngoscopy will also be
illustrated.
* This year, a variety of hands-on displays will allow the attendee
to "get down and dirty" with the exhibits. For example,
an exhibit addressing electrical safety in the operating room
will demonstrate operating room electrical circuitry and the potential
for microshock. Several exhibits will permit attendees to test
new techniques and teaching tools to facilitate fiberoptic endotracheal
intubation. Even a hands-on jet ventilation lab will be on display.
* The scientific and educational exhibits this year will also
address topics that are growing in national importance. These
include issues of cost-containment, the utilization of anesthesia
simulators for practitioner education and the potential problems
we each face as we transition to a managed care environment.
* Finally, an additional eight exhibits have been accepted for
"administrative exhibition" to promulgate information
from subspecialty societies and sister organizations that may
be of interest to the ASA membership.
I have described only a small portion of the myriad topics that
will be addressed in this year's scientific and educational exhibits.
Each year, the exhibits offer ASA members the opportunity to have
one-on-one unhurried discussion with the creators and developers
of each of the exhibits. The exhibitors are enthusiastic in sharing
their exhibits with you. Please allow adequate time to appreciate
and discuss the wealth of ideas available.
The Committee on Scientific and Educational Exhibits attempts
with each Annual Meeting to improve the quality of material presented.
Again, for the 1996 Annual Meeting, this task was not difficult
due to the large number of quality exhibits submitted. The committee
will judge the displayed exhibits and select prize recipients
on Monday, October 21, 1996. See you there!
Charles H. McLeskey, M.D., is Professor
and Chair, Department of Anesthesiology, Scott & White Clinic
and Hospital and Texas A&M University Health Science Center,
Temple, Texas.
e-mail the author
return to top
|