To the Editor

I would like to update you on events that have unfolded since the initial publication of the APSF Newsletter article by Dr. Evan Kharasch regarding generic sevoflurane.

This article rang a bell that cannot be un-rung. I believe the article only presented partial data, and should have concentrated on the manufacturing process of the Penlon Sigma Delta vaporizer, which degrades all brands of sevoflurane, rather than on the implied “unsafe” formulations of generic sevoflurane. Unfortunately, it is my perception from questions that I continue to receive regarding the safety of generic sevoflurane, that the manufacturers’ responses to the article have not been well read.

As a safety organization, the APSF has a responsibility to put forth accurate and objective data. I am very disappointed with the disservice that the APSF and the Newsletter have done in this circumstance, which could have been avoided by closer editorial scrutiny. By potentially limiting effective and economical choices and by creating a risk-management issue where none exists, the APSF has, in this case, decreased patient safety and made our jobs more difficult.

George Mychaskiw II, DO, FAAP, FACOP
Jackson, MS