The Anesthetic Agent Substance
Abusing Provider
Poonam Agarwal, RN, BSN, SRNA
Valentyna Groelle, RN, BSN, SRNA
York College of Pennsylvania
Nurse Anesthetist Program
Objectives
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Discuss statistics and risk factors for anesthetic
agent and substance abuse among Nurse
Anesthetists and Anesthesiologists.
Identify currently abused anesthetic agents, in
addition to patterns of behavior of the addicted
provider.
Discuss legal issues regarding reporting impaired
provider.
Examine current treatment and recovery
programs, as well as options for reentry into the
workforce.
Prevalence
Risk Factors
Factors Contributing to Development of
Chemical Dependency
Occupational
Factors
Neurobiological
Factors
Occupational
Exposure
Occupational Exposure
(Gold et al., 2006)
Occupational Exposure
(Gold et al., 2006)
Neurobiological Factors
Why Can’t Addicts Just Quit?
Non-Addicted Brain
Addicted Brain
Control
Control
Saliency
NO
Drive
GO
Memory
Saliency
Drive GO
Memory
Because Addiction Changes Brain Circuits
Adapted from Volkow et al., Neuropharmacology, 2004.
Most Commonly Abused
Substances
Propofol
Patterns of Behavior
Education and Prevention
Legal Issues
Legal Issues and Options
Treatment
Challenges of Reentry
Challenges of Reentry
Attitudes of Reentry
References
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Collins, G. B., McAllister, M. S., Jensen, M., & Gooden, T. A. (2005). Chemical dependency treatment outcomes of
residents in anesthesiology: Results of a survey. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 101, 1457-1462.
Fitzsimmons, M. G., Baker, K. H., Lowenstein, E., & Zapol, W. M. (2008). Random drug testing to reduce the incidence of
addiction in anesthesia residents: Preliminary results from one program. Anesthesia and Analgesia, 107, 630-635.
Garcia-Guasch, R., Roige, J., & Padros, J. (2012). Substance Abuse in Anaesthetists. Anesthesiology, 25(2), 204-209.
Gold, M. S., Melker, R. J., Dennis, D. M., Morey, T. E., Bajpai, L. K., Pomm, R., & Frost-Pineda, K. (2006). Fentanyl Abuse
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