April 29, 2004
The American Society of Anesthesiologists and the American
Association of Nurse Anesthetists have developed the enclosed
brief
Joint Statement Regarding Propofol Administration
in response to numerous requests for our positions on
this patient safety issue. In addition to this joint statement,
both of our organizations have additional patient safety
and sedation information available on their respective
web sites or through their national offices.
We are sending this letter and the enclosed joint statement
to make you aware of the patient safety issues related
to the use of propofol for sedation by unqualified individuals
and to hopefully provide information that will assist
all of us in providing the best possible care for our
patients.
If you have any questions regarding this joint statement
or issues of anesthesia patient safety, please do not
hesitate to visit our web sites or to contact either of
our organizations directly.
Sincerely,