ASA is proud to once again present its very popular and clinically relevant Refresher Course Lecture and Clinical Update Program. These courses provide anesthesiologists with pertinent reviews in critical areas as well as the newest developments in anesthesiology, critical care and pain medicine. This year’s Refresher Courses will take place on Saturday, October 11, and Sunday, October 12, in San Francisco, California. Clinical updates will be presented during the mid-day on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, October 13–15.

The Refresher Course Lectures and Clinical Updates have undergone significant revisions. This year, there will be 133 lectures (22 more than last year) that address the entire spectrum of clinical practice and practice management. There are more than 25 new speakers and 30 new topics. For instance, there are six new lectures relevant to chronic pain specialists. These lectures will be presented sequentially on Saturday, October 11. Another change is that all lectures will be transmitted to the meeting rooms electronically. All Refresher Course speakers will have the opportunity to preload their presentations onto a central server, which will then send the presentations to the lecture rooms.

Anesthetic techniques will be a major focus this year. James F. Arens, M.D., will address anesthetic management of the cancer patient. Daniel J. Cole, M.D., will review anesthesia for carotid surgery. Allen Reed, M.D., will speak on anesthesia for the morbidly obese patient. Peter Rock, M.D., will discuss regional versus general anesthesia for vascular patients. Randolph Steadman, M.D., will review anesthesia for liver transplant surgery.

Cardiac anesthesia and care of the cardiac patient will be an important aspect of the program. Solomon Aronson, M.D., will speak on transesophageal echocardiography in noncardiac surgery. Paul G. Barash, M.D., will discuss sequential monitoring of myocardial ischemia. Michael K. Cahalan, M.D., will address transesophageal echocardiography in cardiac surgery. Glenn P. Gravlee, M.D., will summarize the new approaches to cardiac surgery.

Pharmacology is, as usual, a prominent part of the program. Jeffrey R. Balser, M.D., Ph.D., will review the newest concepts in antiarrhythmic therapy. John F. Butterworth IV, M.D., will discuss the agents, actions and misconceptions of local anesthetics. Edmond I. Eger II, M.D., will examine the pharmacology of inhaled anesthetic agents. P. Allan Klock, Jr., M.D., will address drug interactions for the anesthesiologist.

The topic of critical care medicine will be addressed by several presenters. John E. Ellis, M.D., will discuss the postoperative management of myocardial ischemia. Michael J. Murray, M.D., Ph.D., will address evaluation management of hypertension. Charles W. Otto, M.D., will review the current concepts in adult cardiopulmonary resuscitation. Myer H. Rosenthal, M.D., will discuss the management of shock. Alan J. Schwartz, M.D., will provide an update on pediatric advanced cardiac life support.

Both acute and chronic pain will be a prominent part of this year’s Refresher Course Lectures. May L. Chin, M.D., will examine the role of the anesthesiologist as a pain consultant. James C. Eisenach, M.D., will address the clinical relevance of pain physiology and pharmacology. Jonathan Moss, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss how peripheral opiate antagonists can provide pain relief without side effects. Six new lectures have been added dealing with the problems of chronic pain management. Allen W. Burton, M.D., will discuss neurostimulation in the treatment of pain. Timothy R. Deer, M.D., will examine the treatment of spinal pain. Pamela P. Palmer, M.D., will review neuropathic pain. James P. Rathmell, M.D., will address the new modalities for the treatment of back pain. Richard L. Rauck, M.D., will speak on intrathecal drug delivery. Richard W. Rosenquist, M.D., will review the evaluation of the pain patient.

Ten lectures will address the problems of equipment and patient safety. John P. Abenstein, M.D., will review the evaluation of new technology and how to purchase new equipment. J. Jeffrey Andrews, M.D., will discuss understanding your anesthesia machine. Steven J. Barker, M.D., Ph.D., will summarize recent developments in oxygen monitoring. Jan Ehrenwerth, M.D., will discuss operating room fires. James B. Eisenkraft, M.D., will examine problems with anesthesia gas delivery systems. Michael A. Olympio, M.D., will address modern anesthesia machines. Robert K. Stoelting, M.D., will examine predictable risks and anesthesia patient safety.

Jeffrey L. Apfelbaum, M.D., will review the current controversies in outpatient anesthesia. Phillip E. Scuderi, M.D., will address postoperative nausea and vomiting. Rebecca S. Twersky, M.D., will discuss issues related to recovery and discharge of ambulatory patients.

Management of the difficult airway is always an important topic, and it will be discussed in four Refresher Courses. Jonathan L. Benumof, M.D., will discuss anesthesia and airway management in patients with obesity and sleep apnea. David Z. Ferson, M.D., will provide an update on what is new with the laryngeal mask airway. Carin A. Hagberg, M.D., and William H. Rosenblatt, M.D., will examine decision-making and management of the difficult airway.

This year, 15 speakers will discuss topics in obstetrical and regional anesthesia. David J. Birnbach, M.D., will review advances in labor analgesia. David H. Chestnut, M.D., will discuss common obstetric problems. Joy L. Hawkins, M.D., will examine anesthesia for the pregnant patient undergoing nonobstetric surgery. Craig M. Palmer, M.D., will review the anesthetic management of obstetric emergencies. David L. Brown, M.D., will provide an update on brachial plexus block. Hugh C. Gilbert, M.D., will review the complications and controversies in regional anesthesia. Terese T. Horlocker, M.D., will examine peripheral nerve injury following regional anesthesia.

A total of nine speakers will address issues and controversies in pediatric anesthesia. Peter J. Davis, M.D., will examine the new pharmacologic agents for pediatric anesthesia. Steven C. Hall, M.D., will discuss recognition and management of the child with a difficult airway. Zeev N. Kain, M.D., will examine the myths of pediatric anesthesia. Linda J. Mason, M.D., will review pitfalls and problems in pediatric anesthesia. Melissa Wheeler, M.D., will address management of neonatal surgical emergencies.

Issues of anesthetic complications and the medical/legal aspects of anesthesia will be discussed by eight speakers. Frederic A. Berry, M.D., will examine what to do after a bad outcome. Barbara W. Brandom, M.D., will provide an update on what is new in the detection and treatment of malignant hyperthemia. Robert A. Caplan, M.D., will discuss the lessons learned from the ASA Closed Claims Project. Mark A. Warner, M.D., will address perioperative neuropathies, blindness and positioning problems. Denise J. Wedel, M.D., will discuss neurologic complications of spinal and epidural anesthesia.

Thoracic anesthesia and issues in respiratory care are always topics of interest. Michael J. Bishop, M.D., will review the management of bronchospasm. Edmond Cohen, M.D., will review new developments in thoracic anesthesia. J. Steven Hata, M.D., will examine how to minimize pulmonary complications in the perioperative period. Jerome M. Klafta, M.D., will discuss how to make one-lung anesthesia work.

Three speakers will address the problem of the geriatric patient. Gregory J. Crosby, M.D., will examine the effects of aging on anesthesia and the brain. Kathryn E. McGoldrick, M.D., will review the anesthetic implications for geriatric outpatients. Raymond C. Roy, M.D., Ph.D., will review anesthetic management of the elderly patient.

Seven speakers will discuss issues in neurosurgical anesthesia. Audreé A. Bendo, M.D., will review the anesthetic management of patients with supratentorial tumors. James E. Cottrell, M.D., will discuss the topic of brain protection in neurosurgery. John C. Drummond, M.D., will address anesthesia for intracranial aneurysm surgery. Donald S. Prough, M.D., will review the perioperative management of patients with traumatic brain injury.

Issues of operating room (O.R.) management, maximizing O.R. efficiency, measuring clinical productivity, cost-containment and information resources will be discussed by Amr E. Abouleish, M.D., Franklin Dexter, M.D., Ph.D., Vinod Malhotra, M.D., Walter G. Maurer, M.D., and Keith J. Ruskin, M.D.

The popular basic science review series will again be presented and will consist of a total of 12 lectures, six being presented on Saturday and six on Sunday, that will cover a wide range of topics. Charles B. Berde, M.D., will address mechanisms of local anesthetics. Adrian W. Gelb, M.D., will examine the control of cerebral circulation. Jeffrey B. Gross, M.D., will review how and why we breathe. Ronald D. Miller, M.D., will examine what makes neuromuscular junctions and muscles work. Ronald G. Pearl, M.D., Ph.D., will review matching of ventilation and perfusion in the lung. Robert N. Sladen, M.B., Ch.B., will discuss the physiology of urine formation.

Several speakers will present new topics of interest to many anesthesiologists. Michael F. O’Connor, M.D., will examine whether there will be a blood substitute available in the near future. Paul R. Barach, M.D., will discuss how to prepare for nuclear, biological and chemical hazards. Julian M. Goldman, M.D., will examine what it will be like to work in the operating rooms of the future.

We are honored and fortunate that these many outstanding anesthesiologists have agreed to share their knowledge and expertise with attendees at the 2003 ASA Refresher Course Lecture, Clinical Update Program and Basic Science Review Program.

As Chair of the Committee on Refresher Courses, I would like to convey my thanks and gratitude to all the members of the committee for their hard work in putting this outstanding program together. I am especially indebted and grateful to Dr. Bendo, vice-chair of the committee, for her outstanding efforts, advice and dedication. I would also like to thank dedicated ASA staff members, Jennifer M. Braun, Jill A. Formeister, Carol L. Klemm and Janice L. Plack, without whose efforts and hard work this program could never take place. The committee has approved a total of 133 speakers and topics that address a wide variety of clinically relevant topics to meet the needs of our membership. We look forward to seeing you in San Francisco.