Non-Operating Room Anesthesia (NORA) refers to a diverse range of anesthesia care that is administered at locations outside or away from the traditional operating room. Typically, these locations include (but are not limited to) endoscopy suites, interventional cardiology labs, interventional or other radiology locations, pain procedure sites, intensive care units and dental offices. “As NORA cases continue to evolve, these procedures comprise a larger share of anesthesia practice than ever before.” There are many reasons for this growth: new technologies have increased the amount of procedures available and also expanded the indications for less invasive procedures. Aging populations have increased comorbidities that make them poor surgical candidates and the economics of the current health care environment look to increase value by decreasing costs.1
Three-step approach when considering a NORA anesthetic:
The NORA location poses several unique challenges related to increasingly complex patients and procedures and an often unfamiliar environment,...
