ASA Releases Statement Related to Media Inquiries Regarding Michael Jackson's Death
American Society of Anesthesiologists Releases Statement Related to Media Inquiries Regarding Michael Jackson’s Death and the Trial of Dr. Conrad Murray
Chicago — (September 28, 2011) In response to media inquiries regarding propofol reportedly found at the scene of Michael Jackson’s death and now being discussed at Dr. Conrad Murray’s trial, the American Society of Anesthesiologists releases the following statement:
"The American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), which is made up of physicians providing professional anesthesia care, does not know the specific circumstances surrounding Michael Jackson's death. However, ASA unequivocally maintains that Diprivan, or its generic name Propofol, is a drug meant only for use in a medical setting by professionals trained in the provision of general anesthesia. Though the drug is often used for procedures requiring sedation, patients can have extremely variable responses to the drug and some patients can become completely anesthetized, including losing the ability to breathe. Diprivan should never be used outside of a controlled and monitored medical setting. Use of the drug should be directly supervised by a physician trained in anesthesia and qualified to provide physiologic rescue should too much drug be given."
About Anesthesiologists Anesthesiologists are physicians who make modern medicine possible. Every day, their practice enables life-saving care across a broad range of specialties when patients need it most. Anesthesiologists are responsible for the total care of the patient prior to, during and after surgery by keeping patients stable and safe through the administration of anesthesia, the monitoring of vital signs and body functions, and intervention during an emergency. Anesthesiologists have developed leading medical advances that have allowed modern medicine to become what it is today. Without advances in anesthesia many surgical procedures, such as transplants, cardiac surgery and brain surgery, would not be as advanced as they are currently.
THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline of modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 46,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
For more information on the field of anesthesiology, visit the American Society of Anesthesiologists Web site at www.asahq.org. For patient information, visit LifeLineToModernMedicine.com
For the first time researchers have monitored the brain as it slips into unconsciousness.
The new imaging method detects the waxing and waning of electrical activity in the brain moments after an anaesthetic injection is administered.
As the patient goes under, different parts of the brain seem to be "talking" to each other, a team told the European Anaesthesiology Congress in Amsterdam.
But they caution that more work is needed to understand what is going on.
The technique could ultimately help doctors pinpoint damage in the brains of people suffering from stroke and head injury.
For more information, please visit the website linked to this brief summary.
Guide to Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology
Guide to Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) By David L. Brown, M.D., Secretary, The American Board of Anesthesiology, Inc.
What is MOCA? Maintenance of Certification (MOC) is an active process of assessment and continuous professional development that allows participants to demonstrate ongoing competency with advances in the field of medicine throughout their entire careers. The MOC concept originated with the American Board of Medical Specialties (ABMS) in 1999. As a member board of the ABMS, the American Board of Anesthesiology (ABA) has been charged with implementing MOC activities that will assure the public that its diplomates: Are up-to-date with knowledge of their specialties Hold unrestricted medical licenses Are respected in their practices by peers and patients Demonstrate professionalism as physicians Continually evaluate and improve their practices The ABA recognized the importance of such an initiative and developed the Maintenance of Certification in Anesthesiology (MOCA) program to help physicians demonstrate their commitment to quality clinical outcomes and patient safety. MOCA offers ABA-board-certified anesthesiologists the opportunity to participate in a four-part process for continuous learning, while advancing the standard of specialty medical care. Each MOCA cycle is a 10-year period that includes ongoing Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment; continual assessment of Professional Standing (medical licensure); periodic assessments of Practice Performance; and a decennial assessment of Cognitive Expertise. MOCA is an opportunity for physicians to improve their skills in six general competencies "Medical Knowledge; Patient Care; Practice-Based Learning and Improvement; Professionalism; Interpersonal and Communication Skills; and Systems-Based Practice. ABA diplomates certified in 2000 or after hold a time-limited certificate and are automatically enrolled in MOCA after initial board certification. This allows them the full 10-year period to meet all requirements. To avoid expiration of certification, all MOCA requirements must be completed within the 10-year period. Participation in MOCA by non-time-limited diplomates, those certified before 2000, is voluntary and encouraged. Who benefits from participation in MOCA? The Public MOCA should benefit the public to the extent that participation requires assessment of clinical practices and pursuit of changes to improve them, and hence, patient quality. Medical specialists who participate in MOCA are using evidence-based guidelines, practice parameters, and standards in their specialty and are recognized as leaders in the national movement for health care quality. Our Physicians From a professional perspective, MOCA is an indication to the public that their anesthesiologist has met "and is maintaining "a high standard of knowledge in the specialty. Through MOCA, physicians demonstrate that they can assess the quality of care they provide compared to peers and national benchmarks, and then apply the best evidence or consensus recommendations to improve that care. MOCA also may help meet payer, regulatory and consumer demands for quality. Health Systems and Medical Centers If MOCA participation is a driver of improved patient outcomes, then these may translate to increased efficiencies, reduced complications, and cost-effective care. As case-based payment plans proliferate, health systems and medical centers benefit greatly when their patients have fewer complications and undergo care more efficiently. What are the MOCA requirements? The MOCA requirements have changed over the past ten years in order to meet ABMS standards. Diplomates certified in years prior to 2010 (2000-2009) will have differing requirements based on the year they were certified. A full list of requirements by cohort is available on the ABA website at www.theABA.org. The following requirements are valid for diplomates certified in 2010 or after. Part 1: Professional Standing ABA diplomates must hold an active, unrestricted license to practice medicine in at least one jurisdiction of the United States or Canada. Furthermore, all US and Canadian medical licenses that a diplomate holds must be unrestricted. To fulfill this requirement, diplomates should annually review and update their medical license information via their portal account at the ABA web site www.theABA.org. Part 2: Lifelong Learning and Self-Assessment ABA diplomates should continually seek to improve the quality of their clinical practice and patient care through self-directed professional development. This should be done through an assessment of current knowledge and participation in continuing medical education (CME) activities and other learning opportunities. To fulfill this requirement, diplomates certified in 2010 and after must complete 350 CME credits during the 10-year cycle. Of that total, at least 250 credits must be Category 1 credits "that is ACCME (Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education)/AMA(American Medical Association) PRA (Physician s Recognition Award)-approved. A maximum of 70 credits per calendar year will be applied toward the requirement. Ninety of the 250 Category 1 credits must be evaluative CME. Accordingly, diplomates must complete 90 CME credits through the ASA s Anesthesiology Continuing Education Program (ACE) and/or the ASA s Self Education and Evaluation Program (SEE). Finally, 20 CME credits of patient safety education must be included in the diplomate s CME portfolio. Both the ASA and the ABMS offer Patient Safety Modules that meet this requirement. Diplomates should submit CME activities to the ABA via their portal accounts at www.theABA.org. Self-reported CME activities are subject to audit and verification by the ABA within three years of submission. CME activities reported to the ABA by qualified CME providers, such as the ASA, are not subject to audit. Part 3: Cognitive Examination Diplomates must demonstrate their cognitive expertise once every ten years by passing an ABA examination. The examination may be completed only in years 7 through 10 of the MOCA cycle. Diplomates certified in 2010 and after must have satisfactory Professional Standing, one satisfactory Practice Performance Assessment and Improvement Activity, and at least 200 CME credits to be eligible for the examination. Diplomates are allowed to take the examination up to twice a year. If the examination is not passed before the end of the 10-year MOCA cycle, then the diplomate s certification will expire. Part 4: Practice Performance Assessment and Improvement Diplomates certified in 2010 and after must complete three activities over their 10-year MOCA cycle to demonstrate that they are participating in evaluations of their clinical practice and are engaging in practice improvement activities. They must complete one four-step case evaluation process to assess their practice and implement changes that improve patient outcomes. They must also complete one simulation course at an ASA-endorsed simulation center. One of these activities must be completed during the first five years of the MOCA cycle and the other activity must be completed during the last five years. Please note that diplomates will only receive credit for ONE simulation course per 10-year MOCA cycle. Diplomates must also complete one attestation in year 9 of the MOCA cycle to verify their clinical activity. Examples of case evaluations and a link to ASA-endorsed simulation centers can be found in the MOCA section of the ABA website at www.theABA.org. The above MOCA requirements are valid for diplomates certified in 2010 or after. A full list of requirements by year certified is available on the ABA website at www.theABA.org. You may also contact the ABA Communications Center with any questions at (866) 999-7501.
ASA members are partners in patient care with all health professionals. We are part of the medical team from preoperative evaluation through surgery, recovery and pain management. Browse our resources for patients and health care professionals, and find the information you need to serve your patients every day.
It was a Hartford dentist named Horace Wells who developed the idea after witnessing a public demonstration of the effects of inhaling nitrous oxide at the Hartford State Theater on North Main Street.