A Critique of Anesthesia Technology

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A Critique of Anesthesia Technology

• D. John Doyle MD PhD
• Cleveland Clinic Foundation
• May 2004

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OUTLINE1. Introduction 2. Low-tech vs.
high-tech monitoring3. Survey of potential
problems4. Problems not easily detected without
high-tech monitors5. Evidence that high-tech
monitoring is helpful
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INTRODUCTIONAnesthesia technology, despite
clear overall clinical advantages, carries with
it an unexpected burden that has now become quite
troublesome.
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THE ESSENTIAL ARGUMENTPREMISE The easier it
is for the anesthesiologist to figure out what's
going on when the patient is crashing, the better
it is for the patient. FACT High-tech
monitoring often helps sort-things out when there
is a problem with the patient. FACT High-tech
monitoring is expensive in several ways and
involves a cognitive (mental) load on the
anesthesiologist
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LOW-TECH MONITORS