ASA is proud to present a new and exciting Refresher Course Lecture and Basic Science Review Program. An expanded program of lectures and focused subspecialty tracks will provide attendees with information on the latest developments in anesthesiology, critical care and pain medicine.

Refresher Course Lectures will be scheduled every day of the meeting from Saturday, October 23, through Wednesday, October 27, 2004, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This expanded program of 144 Refresher Course Lectures will allow anesthesiologists greater scheduling flexibility with more opportunity to attend these popular and clinically relevant updates. The Basic Science Review series consisting of 14 lectures will be scheduled on Sunday and Monday.

This year’s Refresher Course Lecture and Basic Science Review Program will feature 32 new speakers and more than 40 new topics. In addition two new subspecialty tracks in critical care medicine and obstetric anesthesia will be introduced with specialized lectures and an expanded program. The 2004 lecture program has been designed to focus on the other subspecialties as well. New topics, new lecturers and sequential scheduling of related topics should enhance choice and facilitate lecture selection.

The subspecialty track lectures on critical care medicine (CCM) will be concentrated on Saturday and Sunday. Keith H. Baker, M.D., Ph.D., will begin the program on Saturday by discussing venous return and clinical hemodynamics, followed by Clifford S. Deutschman, M.D., who will discuss the management of shock; then Patrick K. Nelligan, M.D., will discuss the clinical implications of morbid obesity. In the afternoon, Michael A. Gropper, M.D., Ph.D., will address new modes of ventilatory support, followed by Avery Tung, M.D., discussing acute lung injury and acute respiratory distress syndrome. Eric Jacobsohn, M.B., will lecture on transfusion medicine and fluid management.

The Sunday CCM program will begin with three basic science reviews by Edward R. Sherwood, M.D., Ph.D., Robert N. Sladen, M.B., Ch.B., and Ronald G. Pearl, M.D., Ph.D., followed in the afternoon with lectures by Jeffery S. Vender, M.D., on pulmonary artery catheterization, Charles W. Hogue, M.D., on advanced cardiac life support and J. David Roccaforte, M.D., on weapons of mass destruction. Other CCM lectures will be scheduled throughout the meeting, including C. William Hanson III, M.D., and David E. Schwartz, M.D., discussing perioperative management of respiratory disease and ventilator strategies, respectively. Popular lecturers such as Charles W. Otto, M.D., Allan J. Schwartz, M.D., and Myer H. Rosenthal, M.D., will be scheduled as well.

Specialized lectures in the obstetric anesthesia track will be scheduled primarily on Monday and Tuesday, with lectures of a more general appeal scheduled on Saturday and Sunday morning. There will be new lectures by Lawrence C. Tsen, M.D., discussing anesthesia for cesarean section, Robert R. Gaiser, M.D., discussing postdural puncture headache, David J. Wlody, M.D., discussing the pregnant patient with cardiac disease, Donald H. Penning, M.D., discussing fetal brain injury, and William R. Camann, M.D., discussing current controversies in obstetric anesthesiology. These lectures, in addition to ever-popular lectures by Valerie A. Arkoosh, M.D., David J. Birnbach, M.D., David H. Chestnut, M.D., Craig M. Palmer, M.D., Joy L. Hawkins, M.D., Mark C. Norris, M.D., and Alan C. Santos, M.D., will provide those interested in obstetric anesthesiology with a comprehensive educational program.

As introduced in 2003, lectures on acute and chronic pain management will continue to be a prominent part of this year’s Refresher Course Lectures. Acute pain management will be discussed by May L. Chin, M.D., for adult patients, and Myron Yaster, M.D., for pediatric patients. Chronic pain management techniques will be discussed by James P. Rathmell, M.D., Timothy R. Deer, M.D., Pamela P. Palmer, M.D., Ph.D., Allen W. Burton, M.D., and Richard L. Rauck, M.D., and Mark J. Lema, M.D., Ph.D., will address the cancer pain patient. Nagy A. Mekhail, M.D., Ph.D., will examine the evidence for and against the various interventional pain procedures. Finally Jonathan Moss, M.D., Ph.D., will discuss how peripheral opiate antagonists can provide pain relief without side effects.

Regional anesthesia techniques for anesthesia/analgesia and management concerns will be featured topics in this year’s program. David L. Brown, M.D., will provide an update on brachial plexus blocks. Ultrasound-guided peripheral nerve blocks will be discussed by Brian D. Sites, M.D., and Susan M. Steele, M.D., will discuss regional anesthesia for outpatients. Joseph M. Neal, M.D., and Admir Hadzic, M.D., will review upper- and lower-extremity anesthesia and analgesia, respectively. Michael F. Mulroy, M.D., will discuss indications for and contraindications to regional anesthesia, and Lynn M. Broadman, M.D., will discuss the very important topic of anticoagulation and regional anesthesia.

Fifteen speakers will discuss neurosurgical anesthesiology topics that will provide information on new techniques, controversies in management and basic science. Peyush Patel, M.D., will begin this series with a discussion of whether anesthetic agents make a difference in neuroanesthesia. Audrée A. Bendo, M.D., will discuss supratentorial tumor management in the anesthetized and awake patient. James E. Cottrell, M.D., will address controversies in brain protection strategies. The lecture by John C. Drummond, M.D., on intracranial aneurysm management will be followed by a talk on interventional neuroradiology by William L. Young, M.D., and the head-injury management lecture by Donald S. Prough, M.D. This year’s program also will feature a lecture on pediatric neurosurgery by Barbara M. Van de Wiele, M.D. Neuroanesthesia lectures by Michael M. Todd, M.D., Tod B. Sloan, M.D., Ph.D., Irene Osborne, M.D., and Gregory J. Crosby, M.D., will be found on Tuesday’s program. The basic science lectures by Ira S. Kass, Ph.D., and Adrian W. Gelb, M.B., will be scheduled on Monday.

Cardiovascular topics will once again be an important aspect of the program with several new topics introduced this year. For example Roberta L. Hines, M.D., will discuss new pharmacologic agents for cardiac patients; Roger L. Royster, M.D., will update us on inotropes and vasopressors; Michael K. Cahalan, M.D., and Robert M. Savage, M.D., will present complementary lectures on transesophageal echocardiography; a lecture on pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure will be presented by George G. Rich, M.D. These new topics have been scheduled along with popular lectures by Paul G. Barash, M.D., Lee A. Fleisher, M.D., Glenn P. Gravlee, M.D., John E. Ellis, M.D., Jeffrey S. Balser, M.D., and many others. Vascular surgery topics have been updated to reflect changes in surgical technique. Information on vascular surgery and new techniques can be found in lectures by Daniel J. Cole, M.D., Peter Rock, M.D., Edward A. Norris M.D., and E. Andrew Ochroch, M.D.

Several speakers will discuss issues and controversies in pediatric anesthesiology, including Steven C. Hall, M.D., Melissa Wheeler, M.D., Linda J. Mason M.D., and Zeev N. Kain, M.D. In addition Jeffrey P. Morray, M.D., will examine possible causes and prevention of unexpected cardiac arrest in pediatric patients.

Clinical and operating room management issues will be addressed in several lectures. Jeffrey L. Apfelbaum, M.D., will review current controversies in outpatient anesthesia. Rebecca W. Twersky, M.D., will discuss issues related to recovery and discharge of ambulatory surgery patients. Vinod Malhotra, M.D., and Alex Macario, M.D., will discuss issues in operating room management. A new lecture on chemical dependence will be presented by Arnold J. Berry, M.D.

Problems with equipment and patient safety also will be presented this year. Jan Ehrenwerth, M.D., will discuss operating room fires, and Jeffrey B. Gross, M.D., will talk about electrical safety. Lectures on the anesthesia machine and new technology and equipment will be addressed by J. Jeffrey Andrews, M.D., Michael A. Olympio, M.D., and several other speakers. Lectures on anesthetic complications and the medical/legal aspects of anesthesiology will be presented by Robert A. Caplan, M.D., Mark A. Warner, M.D., Frederic A. Berry, M.D., Denise J. Wedel, M.D., and others. For those confused by statistical analyses presented in the above lectures, John D. Hartung, Ph.D., will give a lecture titled “Statistics: A Guide to the Perplexed.”

In addition to the topics mentioned, there will be lectures on airway management, preoperative preparation, postoperative management, emergency and trauma anesthesia, geriatric anesthesiology, allergy and infection, coagulation, endocrine, metabolic and fluid management. We are honored that these outstanding anesthesiologists have agreed to share their knowledge and expertise with attendees at the 2004 ASA Refresher Course Lecture 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, especially committee Vice-Chair Timothy R. Deer, M.D., Glenn P. Gravlee, M.D., and Daniel J. Cole, M.D., for their outstanding efforts, advice and dedication. I also would like to thank dedicated ASA staff members Jill A. Formeister, Carol Klemm, Jennifer M. Braun and Janice L. Plack, whose efforts and hard work make this program possible.

The committee has approved a total of 158 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 Las Vegas.