Anesthesiologists

Betsy McCaughey (Commentary, July 6) is to be congratulated for her perceptive warning of the danger posed to the American public if nurses are allowed to administer anesthesia without the supervision of a physician. Medicare now believes that nurses can administer anesthesia without the supervision of even the surgeon, let alone a fully trained anesthesiologist.

Anesthesiologists have worked with drug and equipment manufacturers to reduce the death rate due to anesthesia from one in 10,000 to one in 250,000, a 25-fold reduction in just 20 years. A great achievement in patient safety will be undermined if Medicare continues its current course.

STEVEN D. GOLDFIEN MD

President, California Society

of Anesthesiologists, San Mateo