APSF Articles & Updates
Anesthesiology Organizations Express Concern for Patients Harmed, Reaffirm Safety of Spinal Anesthesia
August 21, 2026
In response to reported medication errors that harmed patients in Nashville, Tennessee, the Society for Obstetric Anesthesia and Perinatology (SOAP), the Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation (APSF) and the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) today reaffirmed that spinal anesthesia remains a safe and essential anesthetic technique when administered with appropriate medication.
Bridging the Knowledge-Practice Gap in Preoperative Cognitive Screening: A Call to Action from the APSF Brain Health Implementation Task Force
August 17, 2026
Unrecognized cognitive impairment affects an estimated 37–50% of older surgical patients and is a major risk factor for perioperative neurocognitive disorders. These disorders affect up to 50% of older surgical patients and contribute to prolonged hospitalization, increased mortality, accelerated cognitive decline, and billions in…
Endotracheal Tube Materials and Design: Navigating Airway Safety Amid Supply Chain Instability
August 13, 2026
Every day, anesthesia professionals reach into the anesthesia cart assuming that a familiar, reliable endotracheal tube (ETT) will be available and function as expected. This assumption is becoming increasingly questionable as recent years have been marked by supply chain instability, product recalls, material reformulations, and…
Routine Preoperative Cognitive Assessment to Improve Brain Health in Older Surgical Patients: Insights From an Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation Survey
July 20, 2026
Cognitive impairment is common in older surgical patients, affecting an estimated 37%–50% of this population. Despite its prevalence, cognitive impairment is frequently unrecognized and increases the risk of perioperative neurocognitive…
Usability of the Baxter Novum Syringe Pump in Rapid Turnover Procedural Areas
July 13, 2026
Smart infusion pumps have many features that promote medication safety, but none of these are applicable if usability problems outweigh functionality. In June 2024, the Baxter Novum syringe pump was introduced at our institution, and usability issues led to…
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Perioperative Corneal Abrasions from an Ophthalmologist’s Perspective
June 29, 2026
Perioperative corneal abrasion (PCA) is the most common ocular complication associated with nonocular surgery under anesthesia. While distressing to patients, the vast majority of PCAs are superficial epithelial injuries that predictably heal within…
Closed-loop systems for automated hypnotic drug delivery during general anaesthesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis
June 15, 2026
Maintaining an appropriate depth of anesthesia during surgery can be challenging; excessively deep anesthesia can potentially result in intraoperative hemodynamic instability or postoperative delirium/cognitive dysfunction, while inadequate anesthesia can lead…
The Association Between Surgeon-Anesthesiologist Dyad Familiarity and Operative Mortality: A Retrospective Study at a Large Academic Cardiac Surgery Program
June 8, 2026
Effective teamwork is especially central to patient safety during cardiac surgery, requiring close coordination between the surgeon and anesthesiologist to optimize perioperative outcomes. This retrospective cohort study examined whether the…
