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July 2005
Volume 69 |
Number 7 |
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| 2005 Annual
Meeting Adds More Learning Tracks |
 earning
tracks on critical care medicine and obstetric anesthesia
were inaugurated at the 2004 Annual Meeting as a new approach
to organizing some of the educational sessions. These two
tracks will continue at the 2005 meeting and will be supplemented
by two additional tracks on neuroanesthesia and cardiac
anesthesia. Most educational sessions related to knowledge
in these subspecialties will occur within these four tracks.
A track is a concentrated curriculum on a focused area presented
over a two-day period. A key concept of the track system
is to highlight aspects of subspecialty care that are of
interest to a broad audience. The new format will foster
the integration of subspecialty anesthesiologists with the
needs of the membership as a whole. The planners of each
track have been encouraged to use both traditional and nontraditional
session formats.
The critical care medicine and neuroanesthesia tracks are
scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, October 22 and 23. The
obstetric anesthesia and cardiac anesthesia tracks will
take place on Monday and Tuesday, October 24 and 25. Most
educational sessions related to knowledge in these subspecialties
will occur within each track rather than spread throughout
the five-day meeting. Note that there will be some sessions
outside of the tracks with content that could be considered
within the domain of knowledge of each track. The sessions
within each track will occur concurrently with other educational
sessions that are not specifically part of a track this
year. Throughout the registration book, online registration
and in the program book, sessions that are part of a track
will be designated by the following codes: CC — critical
care medicine; NA — neuroanesthesia; OB — obstetric
anesthesia; and CA — cardiac anesthesia. All sessions
will take place at the Morial Convention Center unless indicated
otherwise.
Critical Care Track
The critical care medicine track on Saturday and Sunday
offers a unique opportunity for every anesthesiologist to
obtain broad-based education in the care of critically ill
patients and will provide a better understanding of how
to integrate clinical and administrative aspects of critical
care medicine into an anesthesia practice. This track includes
Breakfast Panels on patient safety and on transplantation,
Refresher Courses, Problem-Based Learning Discussions (PBLDs)
and panels. Controversies in clinical management and point-counterpoints
will offer lively debates on glycemic control, hemodynamic
monitoring and other topics of interest to every anesthesiologist.
New Luncheon Panels will address “Ensuring a Smooth
Transition of the Sick Patient From the O.R. to the ICU”
and “Don’t Limit Your Practice to the Operating
Room.”
Neuroanesthesia Track
The neuroanesthesia track, also on Saturday and Sunday,
will provide a number of different and exciting educational
formats in addition to the traditional Refresher Courses
and panels. One of these is a point-counterpoint session
on brain-function monitors. This track also includes the
Sunday plenary session on Sunday, October 23, featuring
Gerald M. Edelman, M.D., Ph.D., a Nobel Prize Laureate.
Dr. Edelman’s lecture is titled “From Brain
Dynamics to Consciousness: How Matter Becomes Imagination.”
A panel on “General Anesthetic Neurotoxicity: Does
It Exist and Are Patients Losing Their Minds Over It?”
will be held on Saturday. An oral abstract session on intraoperative
awareness also will be offered on Sunday. Oral abstracts,
a Breakfast Panel on “Current Issues in Anesthesia
for Spine Surgery,” Refresher Courses and PBLDs round
out this track.
Cardiac Anesthesia Track
The cardiac anesthesia track on Monday and Tuesday will
feature two plenary sessions, one titled “Heparin
During Cardiac Surgery: A Necessary Evil?,” and the
other on “Neurologic Outcomes of Cardiac Surgery:
Are We Getting Anywhere?” Pro-con debates on “Transfuse
Triggers” and “Cold and Wet Versus Warm and
Dry” are featured. Other panels will address “Perioperative
Problems in Thoracic Anesthesia,” “Pharmacologic
Protection” and “Update on Anesthesia and Perioperative
Care in Patients With Congenital Heart Disease,” among
other topics. Several clinical forums, including “Perioperative
Care of Congestive Heart Failure Patients” and “Vascular
Sessions,” will be held. Workshop topics will include
transesophageal echocardiography, thoracic anesthesia and
handheld ultrasound for everyday practice. Refresher courses,
PBLDs and scientific papers also are part of this new track.
Obstetric Anesthesia Track
The obstetric anesthesia track material has been planned
to interest anyone who is involved in the care of pregnant
women, combining practical advice with cutting-edge science.
Although most obstetric anesthesia activities have been
scheduled on Monday and Tuesday, some obstetric sessions
will occur on other days of the meeting. Highlights of this
track include a SOAP/Anesthesiology Special Session
on Monday and a Breakfast Panel on “Alleged Adverse
Effects of Epidurals: Are We Placing Our Patients at More
Risk Than We Want to Admit?” on Tuesday. Panels will
address “Maternal Disasters” and “Co-Existing
Diseases.” Two debates will address these issues:
“There Is No Longer Any Role for Intrathecal Lidocaine
in Obstetrics” and “In-House Anesthesia Coverage
Is Necessary for Hospitals Providing VBAC.” A clinical
forum, Refresher Course Lectures, PBLDs and scientific papers
round out the track.
More than a year ago, the Task Force on Annual Meeting Opportunities
reviewed the structure of the meeting and recommended the
learning track concept and other changes. The task force
has reviewed feedback from the 2004 Annual Meeting tracks
so that ASA could improve the 2005 Annual Meeting. ASA will
solicit additional feedback at the 2005 meeting to be used
in planning and improving the 2006 Annual Meeting. The task
force encourages you to complete the track and session evaluation
forms to provide your input and to help shape future meetings.
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