President’s Message
We had a fantastic SOCCA and IARS meeting in Denver. It was great seeing so many friends and colleagues and watching our packed conference room during the meeting. Even more impressive was the membership involvement with our new committees, task forces, and workgroups. The goal of SOCCA is to continue to offer numerous areas and opportunities for our members to engage and grow our society. Continue Reading…
Communications Committee Update
I would like to start off by saying that it is a great privilege to be taking over as Chair of the Communications Committee from Dr. Brent Kidd (Immediate Past Chair and Editor); thank you to Dr. Kidd for his leadership and efforts on behalf of the Communications Committee. He oversaw the development of the two sub-committees focused on social media and SOCCA Interchange/Drip respectively and guided us with engagement with our members through the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond. It is a great honor to be the first woman editor of the SOCCA Interchange and I am excited to continue to build on the work done by the previous Chair. Continue Reading…
Research Committee Update
As Chair of the Research Committee, I am thrilled and privileged to share with you the notable progress we’ve made in recent months. With the support and guidance of the Board we have grown our membership, been focused on deliverable products for our membership, and continued to increase the visibility and contribution of the committee to SOCCA and the wider community. Continue Reading…
The Clinical Practice Committee: SOCCA’s Idea Accelerator
SOCCA is growing! Thanks to the visionary leadership of our president, Dr. Michael Wall, SOCCA has now created what is known as the Clinical Practice Committee (CPC). This committee reports directly to SOCCA’s Board of Directors and has a singular function: enable our growing membership to participate as much as possible in creating the resources and programs of the future. Continue Reading…
Women in Critical Care: One-Year Anniversary
An Introspective Reflection on the State of Anesthesia Critical Care Fellowship Programs from the Program Director’s Advisory Council (PDAC)
For the second year in a row, we have witnessed a decline in the number of applicants interested in anesthesiology critical care fellowships. The gap between the number of positions available and the number of rank lists submitted continues to increase, with only 0.65 applicants per position offered in the 2023 match cycle. This year an alarming 39% of positions were left unfilled post-match. These distressing statistics demand a serious reflection on the challenges we face and the necessary steps to ensure the future of our subspecialty. As we move forward after inspiring stories of anesthesiology intensivists as healthcare heroes and leaders of the COVID-19 pandemic, we must reflect on the past, current state, and future of our subspecialty. While it may be tempting to attribute the current lack of interest to a robust job market and attractive pay, perhaps an introspective approach and reflection are needed to understand other factors that contribute to our specialty’s diminishing appeal to today’s trainees? Continue Reading…
Is Hydroxocobalamin the New Vitamin C? A Budding Strategy to Manage Vasodilatory Shock
In recent years, the critical care community has debated the benefits of vitamin C in septic shock. Vitamin C is thought to have antioxidant effects that attenuate tissue injury mediated by inflammation1. A controversial retrospective analysis to evaluate the efficacy of vitamin C demonstrated a major reduction in mortality, AKI, and vasopressor duration2. This fascinating result led to several prospective trials and meta-analyses3, 4. Most recently, a large trial showed that patients in intensive care who received vitamin C therapy had a higher risk of death or persistent organ dysfunction5. With this result, the community has explored alternative therapies to manage septic shock. Vitamin B12, hydroxocobalamin, may be the next in line for evaluation, scrutiny, and debate. Continue Reading…
Journal Article Critique
An interesting review article that is relevant to our field. The article touches on what we constantly encounter: a gap between equality and equity for anesthesiologists from underrepresented minorities in Medicine (URiM). While there are “advertised” equal opportunities for anesthesiologists hired at different stages of their careers, there remains a gap between what is advertised as equality and what is actually exercised of equity. Continue Reading…
Late Presentation of Life-threatening Tracheostomy Hemorrhage
Hemorrhage from or around a tracheostomy is a relatively common and possibly life-threatening complication. Complications from a tracheostomy can be early or late and can be related to the placement of the tube, prolonged time duration of tracheostomy tube requirement, or abnormal healing at the surgical site. Tracheo-arterial fistulas represent a rare but often lethal complication from tracheostomies. This case report describes a patient who developed a fistula between a mature tracheostomy site and the innominate artery. The report discusses important practical considerations for preoperative and intraoperative management of this condition and describes the most common risk factors, diagnostic approach, and surgical technique. Continue Reading…
A Brief Conversation with… Dr. Jessica Cassavaugh: How to Integrate a Career in Basic Science Research and Critical Care
Dr. Jessica Cassavaugh is a T32 Research fellow and Clinical Instructor in the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. She completed her anesthesiology residency and critical care fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Her current research focuses on estrogen-dependent regulation of inflammatory and hypoxic signaling, especially as it relates to cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Continue Reading…
Let Awareness Grow: Share Your DEI Stories
We are no longer in a world where—as current or future leaders of our respective medical communities—we can remain impartial to discrimination. Workplace mistreatment, discrimination, and microaggressions can limit access to resources and opportunities for growth. It can fuel persistent disparities experienced by caregivers and patients belonging to marginalized communities. As leaders we can’t hear or act on inequalities. Continue Reading…
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