CONTACT: Susie Wilson, Executive Director;
swilson@pamedsoc.org; (717) 558-7750, ext. 1596
Michael Jackson case shows importance of having a trained anesthesiologist, Pennsylvania physician says
HARRISBURG (Feb. 11, 2010) – The indictment of Michael Jackson’s personal physician has made national news this week and led to questions about the safe use of Propofol in anesthesia. This case demonstrates the importance of having a trained anesthesiologist administer or supervise the administration of these drugs, according to Dr. Steven W. Neeley, president of the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists.
Jackson’s personal physician, Dr. Conrad Murray, was not trained to administer such drugs. Murray, a cardiologist who was at Jackson’s home when he died on June 25, was charged with involuntary manslaughter in Los Angeles on Monday.
“Obviously those treating Jackson did not have this training,” Neeley said. “The safety and efficacy of anesthetic agents lie more with the skill of those giving them than with the drugs themselves.”
Anesthesiologists are physicians who have completed college, four years of medical school and at least four years of residency training in anesthesiology. The pharmacology, physiology, cardiopulmonary and airway training through eight years of postgraduate education make something seemingly dangerous become safe and generally routine, according to Neeley.
“I can assure you that the safety of our patients is foremost in the minds of the anesthesiologists in Pennsylvania,” Neeley said. “Anesthesiologists care for each patient before, during and after each surgery. Anesthesiologists routinely use potentially lethal drugs in a safe and controlled fashion to give each patient the routine surgical experience we all expect.”
Neeley encouraged Pennsylvanians to learn more about anesthesiology by visiting the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists’ new patient-focused Web site, www.doctorsforsafety.com.
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Headquartered in Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania Society of Anesthesiologists is a 2,000-member professional organization for anesthesiologists. Its mission is to stimulate interest and encourage progress in the specialty of anesthesiology. For more information, contact the PSA at (717) 558-7750, ext. 1596.