Rachel A. Achu, MD
Assistant Professor, Anesthesiology
Biography
-Board-certified anesthesiologist specializing in obstetric anesthesia, with experience in managing complex deliveries, high-risk pregnancies, maternal hemorrhage and post-partum pain management.
-Actively involved in research/quality improvement projects on optimizing post-cesarean pain management with abdominal wall plane blocks and thoracic/lumbar post-partum epidurals; the management of
interscapular/upper back pain with labor epidural infusions; the utilization of tranexamic acid for the management of post-partum hemorrhage.
-Director of Obstetric Anesthesiology and Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion for department of Anesthesiology
Publications
- Published on 8/22/2024
Achu-Lopes R, Tsen LC, Ovsak G, Raheel NA, Farber MK, Maeda A. Upper back, neck, and shoulder pain during labor epidural analgesia: a quality improvement initiative. Int J Obstet Anesth. 2024 Nov; 60:104255. PMID: 39255553.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/16/2024
Brook K, Achu-Lopes RA, Richards JL, Holland E, Langlois WO. In Response. Anesth Analg. 2024 Sep 01; 139(3):e28-e29. PMID: 39151140.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/15/2023
Holland E, Richards JL, Langlois WO, Zhu J, Achu-Lopes RA, Brook K. Ethical and Medicolegal Issues: When Obstetric Patients Who Refuse Blood Products Change Their Minds. Anesth Analg. 2024 Jan 01; 138(1):89-95. PMID: 38100802.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/21/2023
Martinez NG, Roberts SCM, Achu-Lopes RA, Samura TL, Seidman DL, Woodhams EJ. Reconsidering the use of urine drug testing in reproductive settings. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Dec; 5(12):101206. PMID: 37871695.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/19/2023
Holland E, Gibbs L, Spence NZ, Young M, Werler MM, Guang Z, Saia K, Bateman BT, Achu R, Wachman EM. A comparison of postpartum opioid consumption and opioid discharge prescriptions among opioid-naïve patients and those with opioid use disorder. Am J Obstet Gynecol MFM. 2023 Aug; 5(8):101025. PMID: 37211090.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/25/2023
Wong ML, Achu RA, Spence NZ, White KO. Feasibility of methadone for pain relief in first trimester abortion (Boston, Massachusetts 2022). Contraception. 2023 Sep; 125:110052. PMID: 37105280.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/2/2022
Vasudevan A, Achu R, Perry A, Yarrington C, Norris M, Tracy L, Spence NZ. Impact of pregnancy on airway complications after intubation for COVID-19 infection: A case series. Am J Otolaryngol. 2022 Sep-Oct; 43(5):103522. PMID: 35696815.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/7/2021
Ortega R, Achu RA. On anesthesia and race. J Natl Med Assoc. 2021 Oct; 113(5):541-545. PMID: 34112524.
Read at: PubMed