Anesthesia providers, and medical professionals in general, often care for patients who have preexisting chronic conditions such as hypertension, high cholesterol or a history of cancer. These patients may be at higher risk for complications, or may be using…

Pharmacogenetics is the study of how a person’s genes influence their responses to medicinal drugs.1 The origins of pharmacogenetics can be traced back to the geneticist Arno Motulsky, who in 1957…

A career in medicine may involve many activities outside attending to patients. Career paths for people with a Medicinae Doctor (M.D.) degree can range from business leadership to political advocacy to journalism.1 Among…

Alfentanil is a short-acting opioid drug that can be used as an analgesic or sedative in adults and children at least 12 years of age.1 Alfentanil was developed in the 1970s…

Nasal surgery is a common type of reconstructive and cosmetic surgery.1 While nasal surgery can be used alleviate difficult breathing due to a health condition, it can also serve to correct…

Nitrous oxide, also known as dinitrogen monoxide, laughing gas or nitrous, is an inhaled anesthetic that produces insensibility to pain preceded by mild laughing.1 Because inhalation of small amounts of the…

Herbal and dietary factors can affect the metabolism and transport of a wide variety of drugs.1 For example, grapefruit has well-known interactions with more than 85 medications, which result in impaired drug metabolism and higher drug concentrations.2 Fasting before…

The electronic medical record (EMR) has the potential to improve patient care through electronic documentation and viewing, prescription and test ordering, care management reminders and clinician-patient messaging.1 EMRs allow health care…

Nonpharmacologic treatments provide alternatives to medication for issues ranging from chronic insomnia1 to hypertension.2 Among nonpharmacologic treatments are those involving electrical stimulation, which is administered to treat soft-tissue injuries,3 cardiac arrest4 and a variety…