New machine to replace Anesthesiologists!?

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Hey everyone,

I'm a critical care RN aspiring to start CRNA school within the next couple of years. I read an article this morning that talked of some hospitals using new technologies that would essentially replace anesthesiologists. As one can imagine, this worries me quite a bit because I assume this is going to affect the role of CRNAs as well. Being that most of the people in this section are CRNAs in the field already, I wanted to get a CRNA's point of view about the matter. Is this a threat to the outlook of the profession? The article is by The Washington Post and is titled 'New Machine Could One Day Replace Anesthesiologists' for those that are interested. Thank you!

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Specializes in CTICU, Burn ICU, STICU.

Quick, everyone buy stocks in the sedasys!! JK, to be honest I just don't see it though. "Anesthesia is an art that must be carefully monitored". Besides this machine is only "projected" to be narrowly used anyway in only specific circumstances.

Besides, haven't they have already been replaced by CRNA's anyway ;)...

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Here is the Article just posted in Nursing News: https://allnurses.com/nursing-news/anesthesiologists-replaced-by-988570.html

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

The machine has been around for several years now, but it still has yet to gain traction in most markets/areas. It is designed to deliver propofol sedation for GI cases, but the person in charge of the machine I believe still has to be able to deliver propofol themselves. There are many places that will not allow GI physicians or RNs to give propofol, which is a catch 22 to the machine.

Then someone also has to be immediately available to provide emergency airway management. I think what the company is pitching is that one anesthesiologist or CRNA can supervise several of these sedation machines reducing the overall costs of having an anesthesia provider doing each individual GI sedation case.

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.
The machine has been around for several years now, but it still has yet to gain traction in most markets/areas. It is designed to deliver propofol sedation for GI cases, but the person in charge of the machine I believe still has to be able to deliver propofol themselves. There are many places that will not allow GI physicians or RNs to give propofol, which is a catch 22 to the machine.

Then someone also has to be immediately available to provide emergency airway management. I think what the company is pitching is that one anesthesiologist or CRNA can supervise several of these sedation machines reducing the overall costs of having an anesthesia provider doing each individual GI sedation case.

Kinda like those self checkout stands at Wal Mart?

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

It's called a computer-assisted personalized sedation machine. A little too late for Michael Jackson though.

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And what exactly will the machine do if a patient codes?

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Specializes in Anesthesia.

It will beep?...

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Specializes in 15 years in ICU, 22 years in PACU.

And beep.......beep.......beep.......beep........beep........beep.........beep

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Specializes in Critical Care.

I hope that machine can intubate.

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That's kind of like trusting the telemetry monitor to monitor the patient. Oh look, ''vtach'', lets shock 'em!

:roflmao:

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I'm loving these responses lolz

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