Peter R Lichtenthal
- Professor, Anesthesiology - (Clinical Scholar Track)
Contact
- (520) 861-2324
- Arizona Health Sciences Center, Rm. 5306
- Tucson, AZ 85724
- plich@arizona.edu
Biography
After his birth in Belfast, Northern Ireland at the end of the war, Dr. Lichtenthal grew up in White Plains, New York. He received his B.A. from the University of Vermont and went to medical school in New York City at New York Medical College. After a rotating internship at Hartford Hospital in Connecticut, he was a resident in anesthesia at the Peter Bent Brigham Hospital under Dr. Leroy Vandam. Following residency, he spent a year doing a Cardiac Research Fellowship at Harvard Medical School under the direction of Dr. Michael Lesch. After fellowship, Dr. Lichtenthal served in the United States Navy stationed at Bethesda Naval Hospital and aboard ship with the 6th Fleet. After service he worked at Northwestern University Hospital in Chicago where he was Chief of Cardiovascular Anesthesia. In 1999, he left Chicago when the opportunity arose to move to Tucson, where he accepted a job on the cardiothoracic anesthesia team. He is now head of the group. Dr. Lichtenthal's research interests are in development of medical devices and new drug studies, particularly in the cardiovascular area.
Degrees
- M.D.
- New York Medical College, New York, New York, United States
- B.A.
- University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, United States
Work Experience
- University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, Arizona (2006 - Ongoing)
Licensure & Certification
- License, Illinois State Medical Board (1978)
- License, Arizona State Medical Board (1995)
- Certification, American Board of Anesthesiology (1977)
Interests
Research
Investigational drugs and devices;Post operative pediatric analgesia
Courses
2016-17 Courses
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Research
ANES 800 (Fall 2016)
Scholarly Contributions
Journals/Publications
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2023). Response to society for Healthcare Epidemiology (SHEA) recommendations for ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology (2023), 1-2, 1-2. doi:10.1017/ice.2022.278
- Chung, F., Wong, J., Mestek, M. L., Niebel, K. H., & Lichtenthal, P. (2019). Characterization of respiratory compromise and the potential clinical utility of capnography in the post-anesthesia care unit: a blinded observational trial. Journal of clinical monitoring and computing.More infoThe utility of capnography to detect early respiratory compromise in surgical patients after anesthesia is unclear due to limited prospective data. The purpose of this trial was to determine the frequency and duration of capnography-detected respiratory adverse events in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). In this prospective observational trial, 250 consenting patients undergoing elective surgery with general anesthesia were monitored by standard monitoring together with blinded capnography and pulse oximetry monitoring. The capnography notification settings were adjusted to match nursing (Level II) and physician (Level I) alarm thresholds. 163 (95%) patients had a Level II notification and 135 (78%) had a Level I notification during standard monitoring. The most common events detected by the capnography monitor included hypocapnia, apnea, tachypnea, bradypnea and hypoxemia, with silent notification duration for these events ranging from 17 ± 13 to 189 ± 127 s. During standard monitoring, 15 respiratory adverse events were reported, with 8 events occurring when valid blinded/silenced capnography and pulse oximetry data was collected simultaneously. Capnography and the Integrated Pulmonary Index™ algorithm (IPI) detected respiratory adverse events earlier than standard monitoring in 75% and 88% of cases, respectively, with an average early warning time of 8 ± 11 min. Three patients' blinded capnography was unblinded to facilitate clinical care. Respiratory adverse events are frequent in the PACU, and the addition of capnography and IPI to current standard monitoring provides potentially clinically relevant information on respiratory status, including early warning of some respiratory adverse events.Trial registration ClinialTrials.gov Identifier NCT02707003 ( https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02707003 ).
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2017). Inaccuracy of a continuous arterial pressure waveform monitor when used for congenital cardiac catheterization. Congenital Heart Disease. doi:10.1111/chd.12517
- Seckeler, M. D., Typpo, K., Deschenes, J., Higgins, R., Samson, R., & Lichtenthal, P. (2017). Inaccuracy of a continuous arterial pressure waveform monitor when used for congenital cardiac catheterization. Congenital heart disease, 12(6), 815-819.More infoTo determine the accuracy of a continuous cardiac output monitor (FloTrac sensor) for measuring cardiac index in children with congenital heart disease undergoing cardiac catheterization. Cardiac index is a critical hemodynamic parameter measured during catheterizations in children with congenital heart disease. This has been challenging to measure accurately and many clinicians rely on predictive equations for calculating cardiac index.
- Lichtenthal, P., Borg, U., & Lockett, W. (2015). Does Endotracheal Tube Design Affect Cuff Seal, Safety, and Subglottic Suction Performance?. International Journal of Anesthesiology and Research, 3(10), 166-171.
Presentations
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2023). "Does Intravenous or Perineural Dexamethasone Prolong Peripheral Nerve Block Analgesia Similarly in Children Undergoing Lower Extremity Orthopedic Surgery?". EACD. Ljubljana, Slovenia.
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2019, March/Spring). Adequate Pain Control in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery: Increases Patient Satisfaction and Reduces Hospital Costs.. New Zealand Pain Society. Aukland, New Zealand: New Zealand Pain Society.
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2019, May/Summer). Pain Management and Capnostream Project. Medtronic. Boulder, CO.
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2019, September/Fall). Perioperative Anesthesia/Surgical Collaboration: Working Together to Maximize Outcomes and Enhance the Patient/Family Surgical Experience. American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine 73rd Annual and IAACD 2nd Triannual Meeting. Anaheim, CA: American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine.
- Lichtenthal, P. R., Chan, H., Valencia, F. G., & Stoike, D. (2016, May). Does Planned Pain Management Improve Experience for Children Undergoing Orthopedic Surgery. European Society of Anesthesiology. London, England.
- Lichtenthal, P. R., Marsh, M., & Encinas, A. (2015, November). Conflict of Interest, A National Perspective. Prim&R Advancing Ethical Research Conference. Boston, MA.
- Record, B. C., & Lichtenthal, P. R. (2015, October). Anesthetic Management of a Patient with Leigh's Disease in the Setting of WPW: A Case Report. American Society of Anesthesiologists.
Poster Presentations
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2023). "A-153 Sealing performance of taper shaped cuff for pediatric use". ISICEM.
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2019, June/Summer). The Effect of Adequate Pain Relief on Cost and Patient Attitudes in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgery. European Society of Anesthesiologists Annual Meeting. Vienna.
- Lichtenthal, P. R. (2019, September/Fall). Impact of Blood Recovery on Transfusion Rates in Children Undergoing Lower Extremity Orthopedic Procedures. 2019 Social, Behavioral and Educational Research Conference. Boston, MA: Public Responsibility in Medicine and Research.
- Lichtenthal, P. R., & Valencia, F. G. (2016, April). Peripheral Nerve Blocks for Postoperative Pain Control in Pediatric Orthopedic Surgeries. Western Anesthesia Residents Conference. San Francisco, CA.
Others
- Garcia, P., Lee, S., & Lichtenthal, P. R. (2021, January). Cost Burden of Increased Utilization of Hospital Services Associated with Post Anesthesia Care Delirium. Society for Technology and Anesthesia.More infoAbstract for Society for Technology and AnesthesiaJanuary 13-16/2021
