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Outpatient Surgery E-Weekly

Study: Anesthesia Awareness May Trigger Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Nearly two-thirds of patients who experienced intraoperative awareness suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder 5 years after their surgeries, a...

Trained Providers Lower Propofol Risks

The airway complication risks associated with the use of propofol during advanced endoscopic procedures are lower when trained professionals deliver...

Wrong-Site Errors Plague Nerve Blocks, Too

A study examining the frequency and causes of wrong-site injections in pain management procedures recommends strict use of the Universal Protocol in...

Second Opinions > How Are You Dealing With the Propofol Sh...

How Are You Dealing With the Propofol Shortage?

As everyone is aware by now there is a propofol shortage due to manufacturing problems at the 2 big manufacturers; TEVA and Hospira. I sat in on the FDA conference call last week and it sounds like there may be a 25% shortage for some time to come even as the manufacturers come back on line during the next few weeks. There are reports of price gouging. I am paying 33% more to get Diprivan and the quantities seem limited if available at all! There is also a shortage of Sodium Pentothal.

During the conference call one caller asked about dividing up the 50cc or 100cc vials under aseptic conditions into single use 10 or 20cc syringes to be used within several hours on different patients. (one syringe for one patient) The FDA rep. and the ASA rep. would not endorse this technique even in lieu of the shortage. FDA, ASA and AANA have position statements "discouraging" this practice developed in the wake of the harm done to patients in NV where practitioners reused syringes and vials on multiple patients.

Has the current shortage caused your anesthesia providers to re-evaluate their use of single dose vials using aseptic technique, for multiple patients? If not, what do your anesthesia providers consider the vector of contamination to be?

Started by: Jay Horowitz (Anesthesiologist / Nurse Anesthetist) at November 11, 2009 (12:48 pm)

Comments and Responses

View: earliest first

We ordered Propoven and our CRNAs haven't complained.

Aimee V. (Director, Surgical Services/Director of Nursing) at March 3, 2010 (9:04 am)

We just ordered a large amt. to hold us over but know finding out they are only giving so much to each facility. We are looking into other options. OUr challenge is what to do with the single dose vial issue... there is so much waste and it is so costly. Kim M. (Nurse Adm.)

Kim Merrill (Director, Surgical Services / Director of Nursing) at February 24, 2010 (8:24 am)

Our ASC is using Amidate currently. We did learn of having propofol ordered from the UK which a local hospital is doing. However; the cost is 3x as much.

Debbie Perry (OR Manager/Supervisor) at February 23, 2010 (12:12 pm)

Our hospital went back to using older agents such as Brevital, cheaper and has the similar actions.

David K. (OR Manager/Supervisor) at February 7, 2010 (11:31 am)

Our hospital went back to using older agents such as Brevital, cheaper and has the similar actions.

David K. (OR Manager/Supervisor) at February 7, 2010 (11:29 am)

Relevant story on www.outpatientsurgery.net:

http://www.outpatientsurgery.net/news/2009/11/8

Stan Herrin (Other) at November 17, 2009 (5:30 pm) [last edited on November 18, 2009 (9:15 am)]

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