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By Becki Meehan, WSU Spokane/WSU News Service, 509/358-7528, rmeehan@wsu.edu , WSU News Service

Contact: Dan Simonson CRNA, MHPA, 509/456-8150, dsimonson@mac.com

WSU Graduate Reports Findings in Obstetrical Anesthesia Study

SPOKANE, Wash.-Imagine you're a woman who is about to give birth to her first child via a C-section. Depending on the hospital you go to, your comfort and safety during the procedure might be in the hands of a certified registered nurse anesthetist (CRNA) or an anesthesiologist. Should you prefer one situation over the other? The answer is no, according to Dan Simonson, a graduate of the health policy and administration program at Washington State University Spokane.

Simonson came to this conclusion in an article, "Anesthesia Staffing and Anesthetic Complications During Cesarean Delivery: A Retrospective Analysis," which was recently published in the January/February 2007 issue of Nursing Research. The article reports on a research study conducted by Simonson, himself a CRNA, as part of his master's thesis.

The study examined Washington State hospital discharge data obtained from 1993 to 2004 for all cesarean sections, which were merged with a survey of hospital obstetrical anesthesia staffing. Comparing the data for hospitals with CRNA-only staffing to those with anesthesiologist-only staffing, Simonson found that there were no significant differences in the incidence of obstetrical anesthesia complications between the two types of staffing models.

The findings of the study suggest that hospitals and anesthesiology groups can base staffing decisions related to obstetrical anesthesia on such variables as provider availability and costs, without compromising patient safety.

"In times of decreasing reimbursement for medical care, it becomes important to determine the best use of our resources," said Simonson. "Hospitals, CRNAs, and anesthesiologists should all be pleased to have reassurance that CRNAs working without anesthesiologist supervision can safely take care of the anesthetic requirements of obstetrical patients."

Co-authors on the article are Melissa Ahern, associate professor of health policy and administration, WSU Spokane, and Michael Hendryx, associate professor, West Virginia University.

About WSU Spokane
WSU Spokane is the urban campus of Washington State University, a land-grant research university founded in 1890. The campus features advanced studies and research in health sciences and health professions, the design disciplines, education, social and policy sciences, and science and technology. WSU is one of just 95 public and private research universities with very high research activity, according to the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching classifications. In addition, U.S. News & World Report ranks WSU as one of the top public research universities in the nation. WSU Spokane is also headquarters for the university's Division of Health Sciences, which aligns WSU programs that contribute to improving human health.

Health Policy and Administration Program: http://www.spokane.wsu.edu/academic/health_sciences/hpa/

WSU Health Policy and Administration Grad Program Receives High Marks:
http://wsunews.wsu.edu/detail.asp?StoryID=5575

WSU Spokane:
www.spokane.wsu.edu

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WSU Graduate Reports Findings in Obstetrical Anesthesia Study

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