Welcome to the Atomic Anesthesia podcast hosted by CRNA professor Dr. Rhea Temmermand and Co-Founder Sachi Lord. On this show, you'll hear clear, clinically grounded discussions designed for nurse anesthesia residents and CRNAs who want to feel more confident in complex pharmacology, physiology, and real-world anesthesia decision-making.
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Strange suffixes, different labs, different hold times and a different antidote for every drug. Anticoagulants are where a lot of board points get lost. In Week 2 of our 12-week SEE/NCE series, we organize every anticoagulant around one question: where in the coagulation cascade does it hit? Answer that, and you can predict the lab, the risks and the reversal.
In this episode:
- A simple map of the coagulation cascade and which lab tests which pathway (PT/INR, aPTT, ACT)Unfractionated heparin, heparin resistance, ACT targets for bypass, and protamine dosing and reactionsHeparin-induced thrombocytopenia: why it's a clotting problem, not a bleeding problemLow-molecular-weight heparin, fondaparinux and the neuraxial hold times you need to knowWarfarin, the "1972" factors, and when to reach for vitamin K, four-factor PCC or FFPThe DOACs and their antidotes (idarucizumab and andexanet alfa), antiplatelet agents, and balancing bleeding against thrombosis
💜 FREE DOWNLOADS: Grab your copy of customized study plans & worksheets.
- SEE/NCE Study Plan — a structured, week-by-week plan to pass your boardsNon-Opioid Pharmacology Cheat Sheet — every non-opioid analgesic you need to know, one pageGPCR Cheat Sheet — G-protein coupled receptors decoded for anesthesia
💜 CONNECT: 📥 Email questions, comments or topic suggestions to Rhea or Sachi at hello@atomicanesthesia.com, follow us on social media, and sign up for our newsletter.