Sticky Issue on August NEWSLETTER Cover
irst of all, thank you for all the helpful information
communicated via the ASA NEWSLETTER.
I am writing in response to the cover photo featured
in the August
2007 issue. The photo shows the
administration of medication through an “interlink”
I.V. port using a needle. If we are to teach “bright
physicians all that our specialty has to offer,”
shouldn’t we be teaching them proper I.V. administration
techniques? I have twice gone through the testing process
after accidental needlesticks (this occurred prior to
our hospitals approving the use of needle-free I.V.
sets). “Recommendations for Infection Control
for the Practice of Anesthesiology,” published
by ASA, recommends the “use of ‘needle less’”
systems (e.g., stopcocks, one-way valves, etc.) or shielded
needle products that prevent injury. Needles, when needed,
should only be used for withdrawing medication from
vials. Even “blunt” needles are a risk for
practitioners. The continued used of needles is dangerous
to both anesthesiologists and patients alike.
The average risk of acquiring HIV infection after an
accidental parenteral exposure (needlestick or cut)
to blood from a known HIV-infected patient is estimated
to be 0.3 percent.
The risk of HBV transmission to a nonimmune HCW after
a percutaneous exposure to HBV-infected blood ranges
from 6 percent to 37 percent. In its July 2007 issue,
the New England Journal of Medicine reported
a study where 99 percent of all surgical residents had
received a needlestick during their training. What percentage
of our anesthesia residents are needlessly exposed to
accidental needlesticks?
Modern I.V. administration sets have provided us with
the opportunity to abandon our archaic ways. We should
embrace that opportunity and in the process make our
practice safer for both patients and anesthesia providers.
Ramon Guerrero, M.D.
Plano, Texas
Anesthesia
Goes to the Movies: Two Classics
 wo
classic films open fascinating windows on anesthesiology,
each in its own unique way. Now out on DVD, they will
delight and entertain anesthesiologists and their
friends and families.
The thrilling murder mystery “Green for Danger”
(1946) is based on the novel by Christianna Brand.
Brand was a member of the Detection Club of mystery
writers whose rules (for instance, no concealed clues)
ensured the reader a fair chance at guessing the solution.
“Green for Danger” stars the compelling
and droll Alastair Sim, with Trevor Howard portraying
the lonely anaesthetist.
ASA members will particularly enjoy the anaesthetist’s
equipment as well as his sparring with the skirt-chasing
surgeon.
In “The Great Moment” (1944), comedic
director Preston Sturges brings to life the freewheeling
events leading to the discovery of ether anesthesia.
Joel McCrea’s W. T. G. Morton is one of a cast
of characters whose commitment to pain relief is outdone
only by their idiosyncrasies. Anesthesiologists will
thrill to the renowned Ether Dome pronouncements as
spoken by McCrea and by Harry Carey, who plays Massachusetts
General surgeon John Collins Warren.
Historical, but never dull, accurate in detail, these
movie classics entertain as they renew pride in our
profession.
Ronald M. Meyer, M.D.
Harriet S. Meyer
Wilmette, Illinois
The
views and opinions expressed in the “Letters
to the Editor” are those of the authors and
do not necessarily reflect the views of ASA or the
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