Anesthesia Patient Safety Podcast
The official podcast of the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) is hosted by Alli Bechtel, MD, featuring the latest information and news in perioperative and anesthesia patient safety. The APSF podcast is intended for anesthesiologists, anesthetists, clinicians and other professionals with an interest in anesthesiology, and patient safety advocates around the world.
The Anesthesia Patient Safety Podcast delivers the best of the APSF Newsletter and website directly to you, so you can listen on the go! This includes some of the most important COVID-19 information on airway management, ventilators, personal protective equipment (PPE), drug information, and elective surgery recommendations.
Don't forget to check out APSF.org for the show notes that accompany each episode, and email us at podcast@APSF.org with your suggestions for future episodes. Visit us at APSF.org/podcast and at @APSForg on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Episodes
272 episodes
#272 Behind the Waveform: Critical Safety Implications of CO2 Sensor Selection
Could your CO2 sensor be putting patients at risk? This eye-opening Rapid Response to Questions from our Readers episode explores a serious patient safety concern that every anesthesia professional needs to understand.We dive into two t...
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16:20
#271 Empowering Patients: The Key to Safer Anesthesia
Patient engagement stands as the cornerstone of perioperative safety, bringing together the knowledge of medical professionals with the lived experiences of those receiving care. Through powerful personal testimonies and expert insights, we exp...
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Episode 271
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15:32
#270 From Fears to Facts: Empowering Patients Before Surgery
What happens when we truly listen to patients' fears about anesthesia? The Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) discovered something remarkable: despite the wealth of medical information available, patients' most pressing questions about...
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Episode 270
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16:05
#269 Infiltrated IV Crisis: Managing Complications and Keeping Patients Safe
Every anesthesia professional has encountered IV infiltration—but when neuromuscular blocking agents are involved, this common complication becomes a complex patient safety challenge with no established guidelines.This episode delves in...
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Episode 269
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14:28
#268 Beyond the Vein: The Dangers of Infiltrated Muscle Relaxants
Ever wondered what happens when neuromuscular blocking agents infiltrate into surrounding tissue instead of flowing smoothly through an IV? The consequences can be serious and potentially life-threatening for patients recovering from anesthesia...
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Episode 268
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15:34
#267 Beyond Opioids: Revolutionizing Perioperative Pain Control
Navigating the fine line between effective pain control and minimizing harm from opioid medications remains one of anesthesiology's greatest challenges. This episode dives deep into the evolving landscape of perioperative pain management, exami...
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Episode 267
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19:10
#266 Protecting the Brain: Perioperative Stroke Prevention
Perioperative stroke represents a rare but potentially devastating complication of anesthesia care. While occurring in less than 1% of non-cardiac surgical patients, this complication fundamentally threatens not just patient outcomes but their ...
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21:02
#265 The Breakthrough Drug Changing Perioperative Pain Management
A revolution in pain management has arrived. The FDA's approval of Suzetrigine in January 2025 introduces the first non-opioid analgesic for moderate to severe pain in over twenty years. This breakthrough medication targets the voltage-gated so...
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Episode 265
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15:22
#264 Rethinking Resuscitation in the Operating Room: Beyond ACLS
Cardiac arrest in the operating room presents unique challenges that standard Advanced Cardiovascular Life Support (ACLS) protocols simply were not designed to address. This eye-opening exploration with APSF author, Zachary Smith, reveals why t...
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15:40
#263 Blood Pressure Blind Spots
The standard of care for monitoring blood pressure during surgery hasn't changed in nearly 40 years, despite technological advances that could prevent serious complications and save lives. This eye-opening episode takes listeners inside a recen...
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Episode 263
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1:12:31
#262 Medical Literature Deep Dive: From Infant Intubation to GLP-1 Agonist Risks and More
Ready for a refreshing summer dive into the latest anesthesia safety research? This episode explores three groundbreaking studies that could transform perioperative practice and patient outcomes.First, we examine a fascinating randomize...
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Episode 262
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15:54
#261 Patient Safety Challenges: From Global Cosmetic Tourism to Pediatric Medication Dosing
Navigating the complex landscape of patient safety requires vigilance, knowledge, and adaptability. Today's episode takes us on a journey through two critical safety concerns that exemplify the challenges anesthesiologists face in diverse clini...
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Episode 261
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15:48
#260 OpenAnesthesia and the APSF: Achieving Safe and Quality Anesthesia Care with Education Innovation
Dr. Elizabeth Malinzak takes us behind the scenes of a fascinating educational initiative bridging knowledge gaps in anesthesiology. As a pediatric anesthesiologist at Duke University and liaison between the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation...
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29:33
#259 Every Move Matters: Why Transport Safety Can Save Your Critical Patients
Intrahospital transport of critically ill patients presents significant safety risks that can be mitigated through proper guidelines, checklists, and handoffs between care teams. The episode examines transport-related adverse events and complic...
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Episode 259
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18:29
#258 Wheels of Risk: When Patient Safety Rolls Through Hospital Corridors
The journey between hospital departments can be the most dangerous part of a patient's perioperative experience. This eye-opening episode dives deep into the hidden risks of intra-hospital patient transport. We examine the current literature on...
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Episode 258
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16:10
#257 Sweet Trouble: Perioperative Management of SGLT2 Inhibitors
Sodium-glucose cotransporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors have revolutionized treatment for type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease—but they're creating new challenges for anesthesia professionals. With more patients on these medicat...
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Episode 257
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20:05
#256 Skin in the Game: A Fresh Flow Podcast Takeover
This is a Fresh Flow Podcast Takeover Show. The need for strong leadership in anesthesiology has never been more crucial. Join us as we discuss structured mentorship programs and the skills required to develop effective leaders in anesthesia. D...
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Episode 256
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40:50
#255 What You Need to Know Before Going Under
Fear of the unknown is one of the most significant sources of anxiety for surgical patients. What exactly happens when we're "put under"? Could we wake up during surgery? What side effects should we expect? Our latest episode tackles these comm...
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Episode 255
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27:18
#254 The Patient's Guide to Anesthesia and Surgery
Fear of the unknown can make surgery and anesthesia unnecessarily stressful. Approximately 90% of patients experience some degree of anxiety about "going under" before their procedure – worrying about pain, waking during surgery, or post-operat...
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Episode 254
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17:24
#253 When Electrocautery Meets Implanted Devices: What Every Anesthesia Professional Needs to Know
The safe management of non-cardiac implantable electrical devices during surgery requires careful planning and knowledge of device-specific considerations. We continue our discussion from last week with actionable recommendations for each stage...
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Episode 253
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19:57
#252 Managing Neurologic Stimulators: A Critical Guide for Safe Anesthesia
The podcast explores comprehensive recommendations for managing patients with non-cardiac implantable electrical devices during surgical procedures, emphasizing preoperative assessment, device interaction prevention, and safety protocols.
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Episode 252
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18:19
#251 Surgical Fires: The 30% Oxygen Rule
Surgical fires are devastating yet entirely preventable events that continue to occur in operating rooms around the world. This eye-opening episode features biomedical engineer Mark Bruley and anesthesiologist Dr. Jeffrey Feldman, who share dec...
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Episode 251
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16:11
#250 Sugammadex in Special Populations: What Every Anesthesia Professional Needs to Know
Sugammadex safety considerations span across patient populations with renal impairment, pediatric patients, and pregnant or breastfeeding individuals, requiring nuanced clinical decision-making based on current evidence and ongoing research.
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Episode 250
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18:58
#249 Sugammadex Safety: Special Populations, Special Concerns
Discover the critical safety considerations when using Sugammadex, the seemingly "magical" neuromuscular blockade reversal agent that's fundamentally changed anesthesia practice. We delve deep into the science behind this medication and examine...
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Episode 249
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16:48
#248 Beyond the Mask: An OpenAnesthesia Collaboration on Perioperative Drug Safety
Medication safety remains a cornerstone of anesthesia practice with complex environments and high-stakes decisions requiring vigilant attention to prevent errors. This collaboration between APSF and OpenAnesthesia spotlights critical aspects of...
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Episode 248
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16:35