ANAESTHESIA has evolved in tandem with improvements in surgical care and expertise over the years. This marked a milestone in anaesthesia and is celebrated as World Anaesthesia Day. Despite higher awareness of the role of anaesthesia and anaesthesiologists in patient care during surgery, there remains a lot of anxiety and myths among patients whenever they or their loved ones are scheduled for surgery. Some of them include surgical risks like bleeding and infections as well as anaesthesia risks such as allergies to certain medications; post-operative nausea and vomiting; sore throat; cardiorespiratory complications such as hypoxia; unstable heart rhythm; and low blood pressure requiring ICU admission. In summary, preparation for anaesthesia before surgery is a team effort involving not only the doctors but the patients and relatives as well.

Source: The Star August 15, 2020 23:15 UTC