To the Editor:—
I read with interest the synopsis1of important research contributions published in Anesthesiology during 2007 as chosen by the Editor-in-Chief and members of the Editorial Board. Two troubling issues raised by this article1deserve comment. First, as a former Associate Editorial Board Member (1999–2005), I was surprised to read that the mission statement of the journal as described in the article does not contain the word “anesthesiology” or any of its derivatives, instead advocating the advancement of the “science and practice of perioperative, critical care, and pain medicine.”1While this stated mission may be a noble one, it is important to acknowledge that Anesthesiology is the official journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, not the American Society of Perioperative, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine. The article’s authors are faculty members in Departments of Anesthesiology or Anesthesia, and those who are physicians are certified by the American Board or European Academy of Anesthesiology. Omitting “anesthesiology” or “anesthesia” from the mission statement of Anesthesiology seems to be a denial of our specialty’s identity.
Second, I’m uncertain of the value of highlighting a few selected articles. All of the investigators who present their research findings in Anesthesiology deserve our gratitude for their efforts.1The anesthesiologists who read Anesthesiology are intelligent professionals who should be able to independently evaluate which contributions in each issue may be of significance. I would appreciate hearing from the Editors the reasons that they felt such an article was necessary.
Clement J. Zablocki Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin. pspagel@mcw.edu
