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Tribute to Dr. Takuo Aoyagi, inventor of pulse oximetry

Dr. Takuo Aoyagi invented pulse oximetry in 1974. Pulse oximeters are widely used worldwide, most recently making headlines during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Aoyagi passed away on April 18, 2020, aware of the significance of his invention, but still actively searching for the theory that would take his invention to new heights. Authors: Katsuyuki Miyasaka, […]

Takuo Aoyagi, Ph.D., American Society of Anesthesiologists Honorary Member

Aoyagi did not receive that honor in his lifetime but, this year, the ASA posthumously bestows its highest honor for a nonmember in recognition of work that has truly transformed not only the practice of anesthesiology but all of health care, and in doing so has touched the lives of billions. Author: Alexander Hannenberg, MD

Global Collaboration on a UV-C Cabinet to Decontaminate and Reuse N95 Respirators in Low- and Middle-Income Environments

The Covid-19 pandemic has caused worldwide shortages in N95 respirators, surgical masks, and other respiratory personal protective equipment, particularly for hospitals in low-income settings. Treatment with ultraviolet-C (UV-C) light is an affordable technology for the decontamination and reuse of N95 respirators in times of critical shortage. Optical engineers, physicists, and clinicians collaborated to develop an […]

Perioperative provider safety in the pandemic: Development, implementation and evaluation of an adjunct COVID-19 Surgical Patient Checklist

The COVID-19 pandemic has strained surgical systems worldwide and placed healthcare providers at risk in their workplace. To protect surgical care providers caring for patients with COVID-19, in May 2020 we developed a COVID-19 Surgical Patient Checklist (C19 SPC), including online training materials, to accompany the World Health Organization Surgical Safety Checklist. In October 2020, […]

Clean and Confident: Impact of Sterile Instrument Processing Workshops on Knowledge and Confidence in Five Low- and Middle-Income Countries

Proper sterilization of surgical instruments is essential for safe surgery, yet re-processing methods in low-resource settings can fall short of standards. Training of Trainers (TOT) workshops in Ethiopia and El Salvador instructed participants in sterile processing concepts and prepared participants to teach others. This study examines participants’ knowledge and confidence post-TOT workshop, and moreover discusses […]

Perioperative Provider Safety in Low- and Middle-income Countries During the COVID-19 Pandemic A Call for Renewed Investments in Resources and Training

The ongoing, severe shortage of protective equipment and training gaps should be immediately remediated to prevent the loss of healthcare workers in lower-income environments, both from the virus and from the burnout resulting from chronically unsafe working conditions. Authors: Starr, Nichole MD, MPH; Capo-Chichi, Nina MBBS; Moore, Jolene MBChB; Shreckengost, Constance Harrell MD, PhD; Fernandez, […]

Bridging the know-do gap in low-income surgical environments: Creating contextually appropriate training videos to promote safer surgery in Ethiopia

Although international guidelines exist for the prevention of surgical site infections, their implementation in diverse clinical contexts, especially in low and middle-income countries, is challenging due to the lack of available resources and organizational structure of facilities. The goal of this project was to develop a series of video training aids to highlight best practices […]