Waking up!

[jrtmedic]

Have a look/listen to these guys !

They are all nurse-anaesthetists.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=WOrjcLJ2IE0

It is just to bad that they are all Yanks !

[ToddWeston]

I've always found anaesthetists to be such a bore - I fall asleep listening to them.

[jrtmedic]

Todd

Glad you enjoyed them !

Just thought a departure from the usual "serious" topics here would be a "boost" for all !

[Sheryl]

Hey watch it jrt, your Moderator is a Yank! (Just kidding)

Reminds me of an old joke.... a somewhat miserly gentleman needed surgery and was quoted a price he considered exhorbitant. So the doctor explained what it consisted of: X for the use of the OR, X for the hospital stay, X the surgeons fee and X for the anesthesiologist etc. The patient remained disgruntled but as the surgery was necessary he grudgingly agreed.

Immediately before the op, as is customary the anesthesiologist cam in and introduced himself.

Patient: "So you're the greedy SOB who's charging me XXX just to put me to sleep!!"

Dr: "Oh no, no. I'm the one your paying XXX to put you to sleep and wake you back up again!"

[wpcoe]

...and he's the SOB you're paying XXX to put you to sleep -- and keep you asleep -- until it's time to wake up again.

I'm one of the lucky ones who "came to" while anaesthetized and let me tell you it's NOT pleasant to be fully aware and sentient while you are basically paralyzed during surgery and can't alert anyone. It apparently is up to the anaesthesiologist to monitor your vitals and recognize when you've become "prematurely alert" and adjust the medication to put you back to sleepy land. In my case it probably was only a matter of 10 to 15 seconds, but at the time it seemed like an eternity.

[jrtmedic]

wpcoe

Sorry to hear of your experience.

The actual incidence of "anaesthesia awareness" is very low and said to equate to some 0.006% of all cases (from memory)

The anaesthesiologists skill is in providing "enough but not to much". A balancing skill/judgement made successfully in many 1000's of cases every day.