Nonoperating room anesthesia is perhaps the biggest area of growth, complexity, and opportunity in present day anesthesia practice. Many anesthesia departments face increasing demand for anesthesia services outside of the operating room but lack the staff and resources to cover these cases consistently or efficiently. This article discusses the challenges involved in nonoperating room anesthesia.
Non-operating room anesthesia (NORA), describes a location remote from the main operating suites and closer to the patient, including areas that offer specialized procedures, like endoscopy suites, cardiac catheterization laboratories, and invasive radiology suites. According to several clinical studies, children and elderly with chronic conditions form the largest group needing NORA because of their inability to cooperate with lengthy imaging procedures or painful treatments. An exponential…
