Contents
An anesthesiologist is a specialist who ensures the safe condition of the patient during and after the operation.
He begins to work with the patient even before the operation, if it is planned. The anesthetist examines the patient’s medical history and test results in advance, communicates with the patient and explains all the nuances of the operation. If the patient is a small child, the doctor talks to his parents. Also, the work of the anesthesiologist is to examine the patient and identify possible allergies to drugs. It is equally important to assess the psychological state of the person before the operation. If the patient is very nervous, then the anesthesiologist prescribes drugs that have a sedative and hypnotic effect. This moment is really important, since the mood in which the patient will be during anesthesia is equivalent to the one in which he will be during the entire operation.
The operation will not begin until the anesthetist has completed all the necessary steps to put the patient into anesthesia. First, the drug is injected, after which the person is connected to the artificial respiration apparatus (in the event that general anesthesia was used).
During the operation, the anesthesiologist is constantly next to the patient, monitoring his condition: breathing, pressure, pulse, temperature. If the operation is unscheduled and urgent, the anesthetist does not have the opportunity to do all the necessary preoperative actions. In this case, the doctor has to act quickly, decisively and very carefully.
In addition, the anesthesiologist also performs some of the functions of a resuscitator. He monitors the patient’s condition in the period after surgery.
A specialist in this field should have a perfect knowledge of pain medications, how they are used and the possible harmful effects on the human body.
What does an anesthesiologist treat?
The main task of the anesthesiologist is to choose the right type of anesthesia. In addition, in emergency situations during surgery, intubation and resuscitation may be necessary. Also, the duties of a specialist include monitoring women during childbirth and providing assistance in case of side effects from anesthesia and severe awakening.
When should you contact an anesthesiologist?
If a person is going to have surgery, then you should consult an anesthesiologist in advance. This is especially true for patients whose operation involves general anesthesia. A competent specialist must necessarily conduct a conversation with the patient before the start of the operation. It is worth noting that after the operation, the patient is observed by the anesthesiologist and the attending physician for several more days.
You should also consult a specialist if, after the patient has been given anesthesia, he has severe headaches, general weakness, nausea and confusion. An experienced anesthesiologist will be able to give the right recommendations on this matter and tell you which specialist you should contact for help.
Therapies
The methods used by the anesthesiologist are selected depending on the state of health of the person and the type of operation itself. There are several types of them:
- Local anesthesia.
- General anesthesia.
- epidural anesthesia.
Local anesthesia is the most common. This method is used to anesthetize local parts of the human body. Indications for this type of anesthesia are:
- non-durable operations that do not affect vital organs;
- contraindications to general anesthesia;
- age;
- the presence of pathologies and chronic diseases.
Local anesthesia can cause some unpleasant and possibly dangerous symptoms: headache, dizziness, irritability, allergies, high or low blood pressure.
With the help of general anesthesia, a person completely does not feel pain and does not remember the entire process of the operation, as the consciousness turns off, and the muscles completely relax. Drugs that provide such a state for the patient are called anesthetics. They are introduced into the body in several ways: intravenously, inhalation, combined. Waking up from general anesthesia can vary from person to person depending on the individual. For some, it may be a few minutes, and for others, several hours or days.
Epidural anesthesia involves the introduction of a drug from the group of amides into the spine using a catheter. Often this type of anesthesia is used during operations on the spine or during difficult childbirth.
Before inserting the catheter, the doctor performs a local treatment with anesthetics. As a rule, the catheter itself is inserted into areas 3 and 4 of the intervertebral discs and left there until the end of the operation or labor activity. In most cases, this type of anesthesia does not cause severe side effects and complications.
Requirements and recommendations
In order for the state during anesthesia to be normal, and the process itself to be as harmless as possible, it is important to adhere to some requirements of the anesthesiologist. First of all, if a person is going to have an operation, you should stop taking aspirin. This is because this drug can cause bleeding. It is also important to remember that before the operation, about a week before it, you can not drink alcohol. A person should eat in a balanced and complete way. It is not recommended to eat any new foods to eliminate the risk of allergic reactions. In addition, the anesthetist may recommend that you stop taking some prescribed drugs or suggest replacement options.