President’s Message

Welcome from Elizabeth Cordes Behringer, MD

As the Society for Airway Management enters its sixteenth year, I’d like to review some of the Society’s recent milestones and achievements.

The sudden death of Andranik “Andy” Ovassapian on June 17, 2010 from a major stroke has saddened his many friends, colleagues and students around the world. At the time of his death, Andy was a Professor of Anesthesia and Critical Care at the University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois. Andy was one of the “Founding Fathers” of modern airway management as evidenced by his dedication to teaching, scholarly writing and patient safety internationally.

In 1995, Andy realized his vision of a multidisciplinary, international, subspecialty organization dedicated to training, education and research in advanced airway management in formation of The Society for Airway Management. Amongst his numerous professional accomplishments, Andy served as SAM’s first president from 1995-97, as SAM’s executive director from 1998-2008 and gave the Society’s first Ovassapian Lecture in 2000. Andy received the SAM Patriarch award in 2006. Andy’s humor, expertise, humility and penchant for hard work are well known and admired by a myriad of colleagues around the globe.

It was fitting that the 2010 SAM Annual Meeting took place in Andy’s hometown of Chicago Illinois from September 24-26, 2010. Several events commemorated Andy’s legacy. Dr. D. John Doyle (SAM Past- President/ Cleveland Clinic Foundation) gave a stellar review of Andy’s contributions to the field of fiberoptic intubation. Dr. Michael Todd (University of Iowa) gave the Ovassapian Memorial Lecture entitled: “Cervical Spine Mechanics, Instability and Airway Management” Dr. Will Rosenblatt (SAM Past President /Yale University) hosted an evening honoring Andy’s life and clinical contributions at the fabulous Willis Tower in Chicago. We were honored to have many members of the Ovassapian family attending this special event.

The 2010 Annual Meeting included the launch of the first annual SAM Trainee Travel awards: The Trainee Travel awards encourage residents-fellows in training to submit their scientific work to the Annual Meeting. Four resident abstracts were awarded a cash stipend of $500 to defray travel costs as well as free meeting registration.

The 2010 SAM Trainee Travel Award winners included:

Alexander Bautista, M.D.- University of Louisville Richard E. Galgon, M.D.- University of Wisconsin Andrew Germanovich, M.D. – Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center Jeff Keck, M.D. Hartford HospitalFour additional SAM Trainee Travel Awards will be granted for the upcoming 2011 Annual Meeting in Scottsdale Arizona. The Deadline for application is June 1, 2011. Details can be found at our website: www.samhq.com. Please encourage your medical students, residents and fellows to become involved in this important endeavor!

The SAM research grants continue to further the research mission of the Society. SAM grants are a one-year grant of $5000.00 towards projects enhancing knowledge in advanced airway management.

Dr. Richard Cooper and Dr. Corrine Lee from Toronto General Hospital (Toronto Canada) presented data from their 2010 SAM research grant: “Direct and Video Laryngoscopy in Four Airway Mannequins: A Comparative Study”

Dr. Davide Catano (University of Texas, Houston) presented data from his 2009 SAM research grant: “An evoluation of LMA seal using air versus saline: a mannequin study”

Two SAM research grants were awarded in 2011:

Dr. Tracey Straker (Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx NY) received the first educational grant for her project entitled: “An Use of On–line Airway procedure Logbook to Monitor Training Among Anesthesiology Residens.”

Dr. William Rosenblatt (Yale Medical Center, New Haven CT) was awarded a grant for his clinical project: ‘Use of Expiratory Ventilatory Assistance during transtracheal jet ventilation.”

Drs. Straker and Rosenblatt will present preliminary data from their grants at the 2011 Annual Meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona.

Grant Applications for the 2012 SAM Research Grant are available by contacting Anne Marie Prince: amprince@peds.bsd.uchicago.eduGrant applications must be completed by August 1, 2011 for consideration. The 2012 SAM grant will be awarded at the upcoming annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona on September 16, 2011.

Overall, the SAM annual meeting in Chicago was an educational and critical success. The enthusiasm of program Co-Chairs, Gail Randel M.D. (Northwestern University, Chicago IL) and Lauren Berkow M.D. (John Hopkins, Baltimore MD) and the Annual Meeting Committee was critical to the organization of the 2010 Annual Meeting.

SAM is grateful to continue its international exchange program supported by an unrestricted educational grant from Verathon. In 2010, Dr. Mingzhang Zuo from Beijing Hospital, Beijing, China gave an interesting lecture on the Use of the LMA in China at the Annual meeting in Chicago. Dr. Thomas Mort (SAM President-Elect, Hartford Hospital) and Dr. Maya Suresh (SAM Vice President, Baylor) were invited to speak at the first National Meeting for Airway Management in Xheng Shou, Henan China in October 2010. SAM was honored to participate in this inaugural international conference.

In 2011 our international exchange program continues under the expert guidance of SAM Past President, Chandy Verghese (Reading NHS, UK). SAM is delighted to host Dr. Rakesh Kumar from New Delhi, India as our International Lecturer for SAM 2011. Dr. Kumar will discuss Supraglottic Devices as part of the Primary Strategy in the Management of the Anticipated Difficult Airway.

The international exchange between SAM and the Difficult Airway Society (www.DAS.uk.com) continues to thrive. In 2010, Dr. Maya Suresh (Baylor, Houston TX) served as the SAM lecturer at the DAS Meeting in Cheltenham UK. The SAM meeting in Chicago served to host two prominent members of DAS: Dr. David Ball ( Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary, Dumfries UK) served as DAS lecturer at the 2010 SAM Annual meeting in Chicago. Dr. Ball gave a wonderful lecture entitled “ Patients, Principles and Paradigms”. In addition, Dr. Barry McGuire (Ninewells Hospital, Dundee Scotland) gave an enlightening journal review of pertinent recent articles on Supraglottic Airways.

The upcoming 2011 Annual meeting in Scottsdale, Arizona will host Dr. Eileen O’Sullivan (Current DAS president, St. James Hospital, Dublin, Ireland). Dr. O’Sullivan will present the 2011 DAS lecture: “ Tracheal Intubation via a Supraglottic Airway- what works well”.

Dr. Tim Cook (Bath UK) will deliver the Ovassapian lecture in Scottsdale on Saturday September 17th, 2011. Dr. Cook will lecture on “ Major Complications of Airway Management in Anesthesia, ICU and the ED. An overview of the results of NAP4”

2011 Annual Meeting Program Co-chairs Dr. Lauren Berkow and Richard Cooper have assembled a veritable pantheon of international airway experts. The 2011 Annual meeting will be held at the beautiful J.W. Marriott Camelback Resort and Spa in Scottsdale, Arizona from September 16-18, 2011. Further information about the 2011 Annual meeting and registration information can be found on the SAM Website (www.samhq.com), Facebook (www.facebook.com) as well as the University of Massachusetts CME office Website: (http://www.umassmed.edu/cme/events)

The newly revised SAM website continues to grow with the leadership of Past President D. John Doyle (Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland Ohio) and members of the ad hoc Website committee. Dr. Doyle is eager to expand the content of the website. Please contact Dr. Doyle via email: djdoyle@hotmail.com

Dr. Katherine Gil continues her stellar leadership at the helm of the Airway Gazette. She continues to scour the globe with her team of volunteer reporters for the latest news in Advanced Airway Management. If you would like to contribute to an upcoming edition of the Airway Gazette please contact Editor-In-Chief Gil at: k-gil@northwestern.edu

I am delighted to serve a second term as President of the Society for Airway Management during the 16 th year of this multidisciplinary organization. I wish to thank all of the individual SAM members who have generously donated their time, interest and expertise towards the continued growth and development of this international Society.

I look forward to welcoming you to Scottsdale Arizona for the 15th Annual Meeting and Workshops!

Best regards for a rewarding 2011!

Elizabeth Cordes Behringer M.D.
Los Angeles, California