The American Society of Anesthesiologists has filed a trademark complaint against the recently renamed American Association of Nurse Anesthesiology, alleging that its use of the word "anesthesiology" is "deceptively misdescriptive," according to a Sept. 25 report from Medscape.
The complaint was filed in June to the U.S. Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, and aims to prevent the AANA from registering a trademark for the new title.
If the ASA wins, it could sue the nurses organization in federal court. AANA has, to this point, denied all allegations, according to the report.
AANA first changed its name in 2021 from the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, claiming that the new name better clarifies the roles of its members.
The ASA said in a statement that it was "gravely concerned" by the name change, which "confuses patients and creates discord in the care setting, ultimately risking patient safety."
"'Anesthesiologist' has always been used to differentiate physicians trained in the science and study of anesthesiology from nonphysicians, including nurse anesthetists," an ASA spokesperson told Medscape.
The board will now decide whether AANA's trademark application should be granted or denied, a process that can take two to three years, according to the report.
"Certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) – also known as nurse anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists – have a 150-year track record of administering safe, effective anesthesia to patients in need of care. Not only are CRNAs highly trained and capable, they also use the exact same techniques to provide anesthesia as other anesthesiology professionals. AANA cannot comment further on pending litigation," Laura Schaefer, partner, intellectual property at Benesch Friedlander Coplan & Aronoff, told Becker's on behalf of the AANA.
Becker's has reached out to the ASA for comment and will update this story as more information becomes available.