Newswise — Given the wide range of procedures in which anesthesia is required and the role it plays in making modern medicine possible, it is of little surprise that interest in this medical specialty continues to grow.
For example, anesthesiologists play a vital role from perioperative and postoperative care of newborn infants to elderly patients, from minor procedures, to complex organ transplants and heart surgery.
Duties range from deciding if a patient is fit for surgery to treating postoperative pain and determining if one is fit for discharge. Anesthesiologists also provide pain relief for women in labor, are involved in resuscitation, can be first responders to traumas and treat patients with chronic pain.
In addition to the operating room, work sites include the delivery room, emergency room, the intensive care unit and even the military battlefield. In addition, anesthesiologists sometimes provide sedation for procedures in the X-ray department, the endoscopy suite and elsewhere in the hospital.
Given the critical care performed, the profession requires a high level of technological savvy and extended education.
Anesthesiologists must remain cool and confident in situations of enormous stress and provide relief for patients who often are hurting, anxious or seriously upset. As a result, anesthesiologists enjoy tremendous satisfaction helping those they serve.
According to Mary Dale Peterson, M.D., chair of the ASA Committee on Physician Resources, "The practice of anesthesiology is both challenging and rewarding. As physicians we are very proud of our specialty and its positive impact on the lives of our patients and their families. The American discovery of ether anesthesia over 150 years ago has alleviated human suffering and led to the modern medical miracles we expect today."
Anesthesiologists: Physicians providing the lifeline of modern medicine. Founded in 1905, the American Society of Anesthesiologists is an educational, research and scientific association with 43,000 members organized to raise and maintain the standards of the medical practice of anesthesiology and improve the care of the patient.
For more information visit the ASA Web site at www.asahq.org.
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