COMMENTRY Handheld devices and informatics in anesthesia Prasanna Vadhanan,MD1, Adinarayanan S., DNB2 1Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology, Vinayaka Missions Medical College & Hospital, Keezhakasakudimedu, Kottucherry Post, Karaikal, Puducherry 609609, (India) 2Associate Professor, Department of Anaesthesiology & Critical Care. The Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education & Research, Dhanvantri Nagar, Gorimedu, Puducherry, 605006, (India) Correspondence: Dr. Prasanna Vadhanan, MD, No. 6, P&T Nagar, Mayiladuthurai 609001 (India); Phone: +919486489690; E-mail:
[email protected] Received: 02 April 2016; Reviewed: 2 May 2016; Corrected: 02 June 2016; Accepted: 10 June 2016 ABSTRACT Handheld devices like smartphones, once viewed as a diversion and interference in the operating room have become an integral part of healthcare. In the era of evidence based medicine, the need to remain up to date with current practices is felt more than ever before. Medical informatics helps us by analysing complex data in making clinical decisions and knowing recent advances at the point of patient care. Handheld devices help in delivering such information at the point of care; however, too much reliance upon technology might be hazardous especially in an emergency situation. With the recent approval of robots to administer anesthesia, the question of whether technology can replace anesthesiologists from the operating room looms ahead. The anesthesia and critical care related applications of handheld devices and informatics