New Jersey Anesthesia Services

05/05/2026

Clonidine ( 2-[(2,6-dichlorophenyl) amino]-2-imidazoline hydrochloride) is a drug that exerts its effects via its alpha-2 adrenergic agonism. It is commonly used to treat hypertension, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, management of tics, cancer-related pain, and as an adjunct for neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome.

Recently, clonidine has also found use as an adjunct in peripheral nerve blocks. A 2009 review of randomized placebo-controlled trials...

04/07/2026

Sevoflurane and propofol are two commonly used anesthetic agents that are typically administered separately, but there is a small but growing body of research on the coadministration of these agents.

Sevoflurane and propofol are two commonly used anesthetic agents that are typically administered separately, but there is a small...

03/03/2026

Frailty is a multidimensional clinical syndrome characterized by decreased physiological reserve and reduced resistance to stressors that affects many older adults and makes them particularly vulnerable to adverse perioperative outcomes.

02/02/2026

Patients with irritable or hyper-reactive airways, such as those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), present challenges for anesthesiologists performing intubation and administering inhalational anesthesia.

The selection of inhalational anesthetics plays a key role in the management of patients with irritable airways. Agents such as...

01/06/2026

The management of mechanical ventilation in critical care has evolved significantly over the past two decades. Historically, deep sedation was routine practice to ensure patient comfort and ventilator synchrony.

The management of mechanical ventilation in critical care has evolved significantly over the past two decades. Historically, deep sedation...

07/08/2025

The beach chair position is widely used in upper extremity surgeries, such as shoulder arthroscopy and rotator cuff repair, for its surgical advantages—improved shoulder exposure, reduced risk of brachial plexus injury, and better airway access for anesthesiologists. However, the semi-upright nature of the beach chair position (typically 45–70° incline) introduces significant perfusion challenges, especially during general anesthesia.

The beach chair position is widely used in upper extremity surgeries, such as shoulder arthroscopy and rotator cuff repair, for its surgical advantages—improved shoulder exposure, reduced risk of brachial plexus injury, and better airway access for anesthesiologists. However, the semi-upright natu...

06/04/2025

The Mallampati score is a widely used clinical tool for evaluating the potential difficulty of endotracheal intubation. Introduced by Dr. Mallampati in 1983 and later modified by Samsoon and Young in 1985, the scoring system provides a non-invasive, quick, and practical method to assess the visibility of oropharyngeal structures.

The Mallampati score is a widely used clinical tool for evaluating the potential difficulty of endotracheal intubation, providing a non-invasive, quick, and practical method to assess the visibility of oropharyngeal structures.

12/23/2024

Climate change is one of the biggest issues facing the world, with a recent WHO report estimating it will cause ~250,000 additional deaths per year from 2030 to 2050.1 Coordinated, evidence-based efforts from individuals, institutions, and governments around the world are needed to address the severe ecological and health effects of global warming. One of the main driving forces behind climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), including waste anesthetic gases (WAGs). Excluding those used in dental, laboratory, and veterinary medicine, volatile anesthetics contribute the equivalent of 5.6 million tons of carbon dioxide to US GHG emissions.

One of the main driving forces behind climate change is the emission of greenhouse gases (GHGs), including waste anesthetic gases (WAGs).

11/27/2024

Anesthesiologists are responsible for ensuring that patients receive enough oxygenation during surgical procedures. During general anesthesia, they typically do so through endotracheal intubation, which involves access to the upper respiratory system through the mouth and throat. However, it is not always an option for some patients, such as those undergoing surgery in or around the upper airway, and intubation can sometimes fail. Therefore, it is crucial that anesthesiologists maintain mastery of placing surgical airways, which serve to create an additional airway for patients to receive oxygen while use of their trachea is unavailable.

Surgical airways serve to create an additional airway for patients to receive oxygen while use of their trachea is unavailable.

10/14/2024

Retrograde intubation is a lesser known but valuable technique used to secure an airway when standard intubation methods, such as direct laryngoscopy or video laryngoscopy, are difficult or impossible.

Retrograde intubation is a valuable backup technique for securing an airway when standard methods fail, particularly useful in difficult airway situations or when visualization of the vocal cords is impossible.

08/20/2024

The use of neuraxial anesthesia in patients on anticoagulants comes with significant challenges due to the increased risk of bleeding complications, particularly spinal hematoma.

The primary concern with neuraxial anesthesia in patients taking anticoagulants is the risk of spinal or epidural hematoma.