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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Valvular heart disease feels like a memorization topic, but the table of arrows in every review book isn't random. In Week 2 of our 12-week SEE/NCE series, we show you how two questions (pressure or volume problem, systole or diastole) let you rebuild the hemodynamic goals for every valve lesion in the middle of your exam.

In this episode:

• The shortcut: stenosis is full, slow and tight; regurgitation is full, fast and forward
• Aortic stenosis: severe AS numbers, the atrial kick, why phenylephrine is the go-to and why CPR rarely works
• Aortic regurgitation: acute vs chronic, why neuraxial is well tolerated, and the balloon pump contraindication
• Mitral stenosis: protecting the right heart, avoiding PVR triggers, and why wedge pressure overestimates LVEDP
• Mitral regurgitation: the large v wave and why phenylephrine can worsen the leak
• A rapid-fire board review of every lesion, plus how to handle mixed valve disease

💜 FREE DOWNLOADS: Grab your copy of customized study plans & worksheets.

• SEE/NCE Study Plan — a structured, week-by-week plan to pass your boards
• Non-Opioid Pharmacology Cheat Sheet — every non-opioid analgesic you need to know, one page
• GPCR 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.

Mentioned in this episode:

💜 PARTNERS: The Incomologists®

https://theincomologists.com/ You work hard caring for others—let us take care of you. Whether you’re a W-2 employee or transitioning to a 1099 role, we understand the unique challenges healthcare professionals face, from insurance coverage to financial planning. That’s where we step in. Like you, we are a team of healthcare providers who understand your needs and help you find tailored insurance plans and financial strategies without the hassle or pressure. And we’re a partner you can rely on, today and in the future. We evaluate all available options and resources in the market to protect our clients, so contact us, and we’ll get started! - Jake Bevilacqua, CRNA (jake@theincomologists.com)

In this premium episode, we’re breaking down pharmacokinetics, the concepts that explain what happens to a drug after it enters the body. From distribution and protein binding to metabolism, clearance, and context-sensitive half-time, we’ll connect the equations and terminology to how anesthetic drugs actually behave in the OR and focus on the high-yield concepts you need to know for the SEE/NCE.

In this episode:

• Volume of distribution, protein binding, and drug distribution
• Clearance, elimination, and half-life
• First-order vs. zero-order kinetics
• Hepatic extraction ratio and factors that affect drug metabolism
• Context-sensitive half-time and continuous infusions
• High-yield pharmacokinetic concepts for the SEE/NCE

This episode is part of our 12-week SEE/NCE podcast series, designed to follow the Atomic Anesthesia SEE/NCE Study Plan week by week.

Want to study along with the episode? Join the Atomic Anesthesia learning platform to get the accompanying worksheet, plus access to our members-only podcast episodes and additional SEE/NCE study resources.

FREE RESOURCE FOR THIS EPISODE:

SEE/NCE Study Plan — A structured, week-by-week plan to pass your boards. Head to atomicanesthesia.com/freebies/see-nce-study-plan to grab it free.

WANT THE FULL PLATFORM?

Atomic Anesthesia is the all-in-one study platform built specifically for SRNAs: 800 lessons, 10,000 quiz questions, flashcards, and interactive features. Join at atomicanesthesia.com.

In this episode, we’re covering barbiturates and benzodiazepines, two drug classes that both act at the GABA-A receptor but have important differences in their pharmacology, clinical effects, and reversal.

In this episode:

• How barbiturates and benzodiazepines modify the GABA-A receptor
• Why barbiturates increase chlo ride channel duration while benzodiazepines increase frequency
• Methohexital, thiopental, midazolam, diazepam, and lorazepam
• Key pharmacokinetic and clinical differences between the major drugs
• Flumazenil reversal and the board-relevant risks you need to remember

This episode is part of our 12-week SEE/NCE podcast series, designed to follow the Atomic Anesthesia SEE/NCE Study Plan week by week.

Want to study along with the episode? Join the Atomic Anesthesia learning platform to get the accompanying worksheet, plus access to our members-only podcast episodes and additional SEE/NCE study resources.

FREE RESOURCE FOR THIS EPISODE:

SEE/NCE Study Plan — A structured, week-by-week plan to pass your boards. Head to atomicanesthesia.com/freebies/see-nce-study-plan to grab it free.

WANT THE FULL PLATFORM?

Atomic Anesthesia is the all-in-one study platform built specifically for SRNAs: 800 lessons, 10,000 quiz questions, flashcards, and interactive features. Join at atomicanesthesia.com.

Mentioned in this episode:

💜 PARTNERS: The Incomologists®

https://theincomologists.com/ You work hard caring for others—let us take care of you. Whether you’re a W-2 employee or transitioning to a 1099 role, we understand the unique challenges healthcare professionals face, from insurance coverage to financial planning. That’s where we step in. Like you, we are a team of healthcare providers who understand your needs and help you find tailored insurance plans and financial strategies without the hassle or pressure. And we’re a partner you can rely on, today and in the future. We evaluate all available options and resources in the market to protect our clients, so contact us, and we’ll get started! - Jake Bevilacqua, CRNA (jake@theincomologists.com)