The Evolution of a Peer Assistance Network for Nurse Anesthetists' Substance Use Disorder.

The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists has a long history of providing peer support for its members with substance use disorder (SUD). The American Association of Nurse Anesthetists' Peer Assistance Advisors Committee (PAAC) is a group of certified registered nurse anesthetist volunteers who strive to promote the awareness of SUD through education and research and provide support to certified registered nurse anesthetists and students with this disease. During the committee's 33-year history, educational outreach to nurse anesthesia educational programs and anesthesia workplaces has expanded, the peer support network has been strengthened, resources and guidelines have been developed, and research related to SUD has been conducted in an effort to accomplish these goals. Although faced with challenges along the way, the PAAC's dedication and commitment to the association and members have helped overcome these challenges as well as strengthen the program. Through its generous catalog of online resources, peer support network, and helpline, the PAAC continues to provide help to those in need.

Xenon as an anesthetic agent.

Discovered in 1898 by British chemists, xenon is a rare gas belonging to the noble gases of the periodic table. Xenon is used in many different ways, from high-intensity lamps to jet propellant, and in 1939, its anesthetic properties were discovered. Xenon exerts its anesthetic properties, in part, through the noncompetitive inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Currently, xenon is being used primarily throughout Europe; however, the high price of manufacturing and scavenging the noble gas has discouraged more widespread use. As technology in anesthetic delivery improves, xenon is being investigated further as a possible replacement for nitrous oxide as an inhalational agent. This article reviews the anesthetic properties of xenon and current and potential research about the gas.