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anesthesia quick
glossary
what is anesthesia?
who administers anesthesia?
who gets what type
of anesthesia?
local anesthesia:
topical, cold, cream
local anesthesia:
injection, tumescent, ring block, regional block
IV sedation / monitored
anesthesia care
general anesthesia
stages of general
anesthesia
preparing for anesthesia
anesthesia and herbal
drug interactions
anesthesia and prescription
drug interactions
post-anesthesia
guidelines
anesthesia fees
According to a recent report from the Institute of
Medicine, anesthesia care today is nearly 50 times safer
than it was 20 years ago. This is due to tremendous
advances in the field of anesthesia, enabling many previously
dangerous operations requiring overnight hospital stays
to be safely and comfortably performed in an outpatient
setting.
What is Anesthesiology?
According to the American
Society of Anesthesiologists, "Anesthesiology
is the practice of medicine dedicated to the relief
of pain and total care of the surgical patient before,
during and after surgery." Anesthetics are the
name given to the class of medication that blocks sensation
of pain. (Anesthesia literally means without sensation).
The universal goal of all anesthesias is to provide
a safe surgical environment in which the patient is
comfortable and the surgeon can concentrate on the operation.
Regardless of the type of surgery, it is important that
the patient not feel pain, not move, and have stable
vital signs within a normal range (heart rate and rhythm,
blood pressure, and blood oxygen level). In some cases,
but rarely for cosmetic surgery, muscle relaxation is
also necessary to allow for access to deeper structures.
Who Administers Anesthesia?
Local anesthetics may be safely administered by the
operating surgeon.
IV sedation or Monitored Anesthesia Care (MAC) may be
performed by a registered nurse under doctor's orders
or by an anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist.
General anesthesia requires an anesthesiologist or nurse
anesthetist.
An anesthesiologist is a medical doctor who ensures
that the patient is safe and comfortable before, during,
and after surgery. An anesthesiology residency is 3
or 4 years long after medical school. After completing
a residency, some anesthesiologists elect to take an
additional year in a fellowship for subspecialty training.
Many anesthesiologists are board certified by the American
Board of Anesthesiology (ABA), one of the 24 boards
of the American Board of Medical Specialties.
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists (CRNAs) are
advanced practice nurses who go through a graduate-level
nursing anesthesia program before taking a national
exam administered by the Council on Certification of
Nurse Anesthetists (CCNA). They reportedly administer
approximately 65% of all anesthetics given to patients
each year in the United States.
To Next Section
- Who Gets What Type Of Anesthesia?
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