From time immemorial, people have sought to reduce the pain that occurs during the "invasion", for example, during surgery, in the human body. Currently, this function is entrusted to such a specialist as an anesthesiologist.
Who is this?
An anesthesiologist is a qualified specialist who deals with anesthesia in all kinds of surgical interventions, pain, shock and post-traumatic conditions.
It is this doctor who is responsible for the well-being of the patient during anesthesia, is responsible for choosing the most safe and comfortable anesthesia.
The anesthesiologist not only immerses in anesthesia, but also ensures the maintenance of the patient's body throughout the entire period of the surgical operation. It is the specified doctor who brings the patient to his senses after the operation and controls his condition in the postoperative period.
A bit of history
Surprisingly, the first anesthesiologists appeared in the Middle Ages. True, their methods of anesthesia were, to put it mildly, peculiar. So, in those days, the method of hitting a patient on the head was widely used.heavy object. After the blow, the patient, of course, lost consciousness. The loss of consciousness was the anesthesia. In this state, the patient did not feel for some time what was happening to him: this period was used for the operation.
Over the next centuries, scientists around the world have been actively working in search and development of reliable methods of pain relief. And so, in 1864, the famous dentist Thomas Morton was the first to use inhaled ether as a method of pain relief. By the way, at that time, the duration of this "anesthesia" was a record and amounted to just over an hour.
In modern medicine, anesthesiology has reached such a high level that an anesthesiologist can easily calculate the time of action and localization of anesthesia for each individual patient.
Tough requirements
Becoming an anesthesiologist is not easy. After all, in addition to the mandatory presence of specialized medical education, the specified specialist must perfectly know both human anatomy and body physiology.
An anesthesiologist-resuscitator should also have deep knowledge in the field of cell and organ structure (in order to instantly diagnose the occurrence of any deviation in a patient).
An important role is played by the personal qualities of the doctor. Such a specialist should be able to work in stressful situations, make the right decisions in non-standard situations. In addition, Russian anesthesiologists are distinguished by such an important quality as empathy and compassion for the patient.
Naturally, the work of an anesthetist involves constant professional development and the acquisition of new knowledge related to the introduction of new technologies and the production of modern drugs.
Functions and responsibilities
An anesthesiologist is a doctor who is responsible for ensuring the safety of the patient during the operation. In this regard, the specified specialist, even before the introduction of anesthesia, should carefully familiarize himself with the patient's medical history, as well as conduct a personal conversation and examination with him (if necessary). The doctor should find out if the patient has any chronic diseases (for example, heart or lung disease), allergies to certain drugs.
Only after a comprehensive study of the personality of the patient and his disease, the main work of the anesthesiologist begins.
In addition, an experienced specialist will definitely offer the patient to undergo sensitivity tests that will help minimize the occurrence of any complications during the operation and after the end of anesthesia.
Who chooses anesthesia?
Everyone knows that several types of anesthesia are used in practice: local, general and spinal (it is also called epidural). In addition, anesthesia differs in the way it is introduced into the human body, in the number of drugs used, and also in the use at various stages of the operation. It is the anesthesiologist-resuscitator who chooses the most appropriate type of anesthesia for a particular patient.
By the way, most often during the operation it is usedgeneral anesthesia, which involves complete loss of consciousness. The anesthesiologist then injects intravenously and within 10 seconds the patient loses consciousness. The dose of the injection is also calculated by the indicated doctor, based on the complexity of the injury and the duration of the operation.
Local anesthesia is used, as a rule, in dentistry. When using this method, a specific area of the patient's body is subjected to freezing. In this case, the patient is conscious.
Spinal anesthesia is known to many of the fair sex, as it is widely used in childbirth, spinal and gynecological operations. The anesthesiologist injects into a specific area of the spine and after a few minutes the patient stops feeling pain.
When using any type of anesthesia, the anesthesiologist-resuscitator monitors and controls the patient's physical condition throughout the operation.
Grey Eminence
Despite the fact that the operation itself is performed by the surgeon, the anesthesiologist performs at first glance invisible, but very significant work. An anesthesiologist is the person on whose competent and correct actions the patient's life and he alth depend.
So, if during the operation the patient's condition deteriorates sharply, it is the anesthesiologist who takes measures to stabilize the patient's condition. The specified specialist can perform chest compressions, apply additional anesthesia, stop bleeding andother.
In addition, it is the anesthesiologist who gradually brings the patient out of anesthesia and continues to monitor his physical condition after the operation.
Anesthesiologist or resuscitator?
As already mentioned, an anesthesiologist is a doctor who specializes in pain relief for a patient during an operation. And who is a resuscitator?
If you delve into history, you can find out that the term "anaesthesiologist" from the Greek language literally translates as "without feelings." The resuscitator (translated from the same Greek language) is the “return of life”. Indeed, this specialist not only introduces the patient into a state of anesthesia, but also brings the patient to his senses.
Thus, it would be more correct to say that a specialist who deals with pain relief during all kinds of surgical interventions and bringing to life after surgery is not just an anesthesiologist, but an anesthesiologist-resuscitator.
Important recommendations
The successful result of the operation mainly depends on the well-coordinated and qualified work of doctors. However, the patient himself must follow certain recommendations.
So, experienced anesthesiologists advise following the following rules before any operation:
- at least a week before the date of the proposed operation, exclude the use of alcoholic beverages and try to stop smoking;
- on the eve of the operation it is strictly forbidden to take "Aspirin", as thisthe drug at times increases bleeding;
- exclude animal fats from the diet and eat poultry, fish and dairy products as much as possible;
- in the event that the patient suffers from coronary heart disease or diabetes, do not stop taking medications prescribed by the doctor;
- do not hide from the doctor information about the presence of any allergic reactions and other features of the body.
Compliance with these rules will help reduce the risk of emergency situations both during the administration of anesthesia and the operation, and in the postoperative period.
Summing up
An anesthesiologist is very necessary in any medical institution. Patients' feedback on the work of these specialists shows that the trust in the doctors of this specialization is colossal. And this is no coincidence, because sometimes the life and he alth of the patient depends on the quality of work performed by the anesthesiologist-resuscitator.
Introduction of anesthesia, monitoring the patient's condition, gradual recovery, postoperative rehabilitation - all these duties are performed by the anesthesiologist. The operation is considered successful only when the entire team of specialists (surgeons, anesthesiologists, resuscitators and other medical personnel) works smoothly, clearly and competently.
