Role of Anaesthiologists: From surgery to critical care
Most people think of anaesthesio-logist only as the "doctor behind the mask" who helps patients sleep during surgery without pain and who wakes them up when surgery is over. Let us lift the doctor's mask and take a look at the responsibilities of an anaesthesiologist. In general, an anaesthesiologist is a medical doctor who cares for a patient before, during and immediately following a surgical or medical procedure by administering appropriate anaesthesia and monitoring the patient for reactions and complications and to ensure comfort and manage pain. An anaesthesiologist's job description is not limited to a traditional surgical setting in a hospital or medical center. Today, anaesthesiologists have many options available including working in outpatient surgical centers, labour and delivery units, pain management clinics, critical and intensive care units (stabilising a patient's condition), teaching and research. Anaesthesiologists also coordinate the care of patients in the intensive care unit because of their extensive training in clinical physiology/pharmacology and resuscitation. Anaesthesiologists also possess the medical knowledge and technical expertise to deal with many emergency and trauma situations. They provide airway management, cardiac and pulmonary resuscitation, advanced life support and pain control. As consultants, they play an active role in stabilising and preparing the patient for emergency surgery. Anaesthesiologists are the vanguard of those who are developing new therapies for chronic pain syndromes and cancer-related pain. In addition to providing patient care, an anaesthesiologist often is responsible for managing the resources of the operating suite, including the efficient use of operating rooms, supplies, equipment and personnel. In a nutshell, an anaesthiologist's job is to keep patients alive while the surgeon does things that could kill them.
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