“Cardiothoracic anesthesia can be a challenging, exciting, and very rewarding field. My first time rotating through cardiac anesthesia, I realized I had entered a world quite different than my other rotations in anesthesia. While it varies somewhat from institution to institution, the cardiac ORs introduce new medications, a new workflow, and new members of the operating room team. There is a dynamic that exists between a seasoned anesthesiologist, perfusionist, and surgeon that is like a well-oiled machine.
The time surrounding cardiopulmonary bypass was very confusing during my first cardiac rotation. Intubations, vasopressors, arterial lines – these were all things I had been exposed to before. Cardiopulmonary bypass was a different beast. My attendings helped with explaining the process, but there was such a steep learning curve for the rapid physiologic changes and lingo surrounding it that it was still very difficult.
My goal was to create a primer on the basics of cardiopulmonary bypass, aimed at residents before starting their first cardiac rotation. But I didn’t want it to just be a block of text. I wanted it to be fun, unassuming, and approachable, using a non-traditional way of interacting with learners. I searched Google for ideas – “anesthesia medical education information technology.” The first hit was Stanford’s Anesthesia Informatics and Media Lab, headed up by Dr. Larry Chu. I clicked on the link to see:”
Excerpt From: Jacob Schaff, MD. “A Primer on Cardiopulmonary Bypass for the Anesthesiologist.” Apple Books.
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