What does an anaesthetist do? - cross post from surgery

[sweetie-pie]

What exactly an anaesthetist does depends on what area they specialise.
In general, will see and assess pre op patients for suitability for anaesthetics and consider which drugs to use if special considerations need to be made. Administer and monitor patient during op, manitain optimum conditions (fluid balance, BP, temp), keep them paralysed (if required) pain free and unaware. Insert lines for during and post op period, intubate or privide airway.
Post op pain relief.
Some do chronic pain, some acute management, regional and general anaesthesia.
Sub specialty generally ITU/ICU anaesthetics, in which case everything in a critically ill patient, monitoring and treating all physiological systems. Not good for pateint communication as most are sedated/unconscious, but challenging as no patient report of whats going on, and lots of interaction with family.

[Mattie]

Thank you for that. Sound interesting although fairly limited but I might be wrong.

[simac]

Well when you consider than many consultant surgeons would be so specialised they would simply perform one operation, its not that narrow a field.

[Mattie]

I guess so. I like the idea of general surgery but I think there are becoming fewer and fewer jobs in this area.

[simac]

I suppose it makes more sense for trusts to employ surgeons who are going to be excellent at one or a couple of operations, rather than a jack of all trades. I suppose there would be some specialites though, neurology, orthopeadics, where youd see a lot of trauma cases, so that would keep variation i guess.

[sweetie-pie]

you wouldn't say limited if your saw the post grad exams for Anaesthetics, the knowledge required is awesome and incredibly broad! Rumour has it they're some of the toughest ones out there as even in routine ops require attention to detail.
As for surgery, I'd say it was probably more limited and will become more so with MMC, what is needed are those to do routine stuff, not those skilled to deal with every likelihood, baically senior registrars who can cope with non complicated stuff

[elky]

you know Guy from Green Wing...

[andy2]

Anaesthesia is the art of keeping the patient alive despite the surgeons - the maintainence of homeostasis in the face of significant surgical insult is hardly a narrow or limited field. If you add in looking after the sickest patients in the hospital (on ITU) it can be exciting, challenging and very broad. This week I've looked after patients with liver failure, myasthenia gravis (neuromuscular disorder), uncontrolled diabetes, major trauma and post-op following major bowel surgery. Anaesthetists are in some ways the last of the hospital generalists, along with emergency physicians and some geriatricians.

[andy2]

oh, and communication is vital -pre-op allaying patients fears, and post-op on the wards. Dealing with relatives of the critically ill and dying also requires careful communication.

[Mattie]

Take, your points. Thank you. I didn't know much about the role of an anaesthetist but now i have a better understanding. Thanks a bunch.