SAMBA 23RD ANNUAL MEETING - TOP

Mark Your Calendars Now to Attend the ...

SAMBA 23rd Annual Meeting
May 1-4, 2008
Loews Miami Beach Hotel
Miami Beach, Florida

Information-Packed Program Highlights:

• Preconvention Workshop
• 8 Workshops
• 5 General Sessions
• SAMBA Frontiers Lectureship
• ASA Update
• Cases From the Real World
• 2 Parallel Tracks
• Awards Presentation
• Poster Presentations
• Exhibits

CALL FOR ABSTRACTS AND RESIDENTS' TRAVEL AWARDS - TOP

The Committee on Scientific Papers has issued a call for abstracts for the 23rd Annual Meeting. The Society encourages residents in anesthesiology training programs to become more involved in SAMBA. The Society will issue a limited number of travel awards to anesthesiology residents whose scientific abstracts are accepted for presentation at the SAMBA 23rd Annual Meeting.

In addition to the Residents’ Travel Awards and White Mountain Awards, recipients of the new Excellence and Innovation Award will be given the opportunity to present their research on Sunday, May 4, 2008, during the General Session of the Annual Meeting.

The Society has improved its online abstract submission making it easier for everyone to submit abstracts for presentation at the SAMBA Annual Meeting.  To submit an abstract, click on the following link http://abstract-submit.org/SAMBA/abstract-submission.html and follow the step-by-step instructions.  Only abstracts submitted electronically through the SAMBA Web site will be considered for grading.  The deadline to electronically submit abstracts is February 1, 2008. There will be no exceptions.

THE OUTSOURCING OF MEDICAL CARE - TOP

I would like to thank all of you who were able to participate in our last journal club; the use of Propofol by the Non-Anesthesia Provider.  Our next real-time broadcast will be on November 13th at 7 PM EST, the topic of discussion will be Plastic Surgery in Mexico: The Outsourcing of Medical Care. I am inviting anyone who has interest in this topic to join in on the discussion by e-mailing me at jahana@ccf.org. I will send instructions detailing the sign-in process allowing you to participate. Space is severely limited so please e-mail as soon as possible. And again, I challenge all to actively help promote our field and welcome your ideas.

Ali Jahan, MD
Editor of eNewsletter

NEW SECTION: WEBSITE OF THE MONTH - TOP

We are introducing a new section that is devoted to identifying various web-sites that may be helpful for the practice of anesthesiology. Our goal is to share certain highlights of these web-sites on a monthly basis.  If you have a favorite web page that you’ve visited, please e-mail myself at VSMOOT@anes.umm.edu.

www.nysora.com

This is the home-site for the New York School of Regional Anesthesia. The site is authored by Admir Hadzic, MD, PhD and Jerry D. Vlodka, MD, PhD, directors of Regional Anesthesia at St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital Center, and associate professors at Columbia University.

Mission

Their mission is “to promote the excellence in practice and teaching of regional anesthesia and peripheral nerve blockade.” The site features techniques that the authors use in their own practice.

Techniques

The techniques section is divided into categories based on level of difficulty. Basic techniques include axillary, ankle and several others blocks. The intermediate group includes more complex procedures including interscalene, femoral nerve and 3 approaches to popliteal blocks. The advance section includes lumbar plexus, sciatic nerve as well as several continuous blocks.

Each block is divided into learning sections starting with an overview that includes indications and landmarks. Other sections address positioning, necessary equipment, techniques, block dynamics and perioperative management. All include photographs (some video) and tips from the authors including a troubleshooting guide, list of complications, and choice of anesthetics.

The site includes a section devoted to ultrasound guided nerve block which covers how to organize a regional anesthesia cart, monitoring and emergency equipment.

Other Goodies

There is a free on line journal, a “what’s new” section and links to other sites of interest. The authors list meetings, workshops and educational opportunities and are in the process of developing a forum section.

Keep in mind that their disclaimer emphasizes that the information has not been peer reviewed.

Feedback

Please feel free to give us your feedback about this web-site and this new section (VSMOOT@anes.umm.edu).  Furthermore, if you have a web-site that you have found to be informative for the practice of anesthesiology, please let us know.

Thanks
Victoria Smoot, MD

A MESSAGE FROM THE RESIDENTS SECTION CHAIRMAN - TOP

Residents interested in SAMBA are encouraged to contact current resident section chairman Alan Bielsky (alan-bielsky@md.northwestern.edu). The resident section looks forward to continued expansion and involvement in the resident section of SAMBA!