World Anesthesia Day: Acknowledging and Celebrating an Era of Pain Free Interventions

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Highlights:

• Anesthesia in modern medicine encompasses perioperative pain-free care for patients
• The role of Anesthesiologist has broadened from operating rooms to intensive care units, palliative care, pain clinics, emergency life support system and non-operating room services
• World Anesthesia Day marks the birth of this branch of medicine that has revolutionized healthcare in a holistic and safer way

Anesthesia has come a long way since the days of chloroform and ether way back in the 18th century. It is far more advanced and safer than it was a decade ago. Modern anesthesia techniques and delivery systems are now an indispensable part of surgical interventions and healthcare in general. October 16 celebrates the discovery and start of the revolution in anesthesia which has transformed how modern medicine and surgery are perceived today.

16th October 1846: The landmark "Ether Day"

October 16, 1846, marks the first successful demonstration of ether as a means of providing anesthesia by the dentist William Thomas Green Morton (1819-1868). This successful demonstration was performed at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, USA. It was Morton's personal inspiration, knowledge, and conviction before the right audience, in the right place, at the right moment in history that revolutionized surgical practice.

On March 22, 1847, ether was administered in the Medical College Hospital, Calcutta, under the supervision of Dr. O'Saughnessy, the surgeon. The first chloroform anesthesia was first used by Simpson in Edinburgh, UK, on November 15 1847. Anesthesiology has come a long way from that fateful day in 1846, when the first significant step was taken (1^✔).

Anesthesia Today: The Modern Way

Anesthesiology has advanced and developed rapidly over the last 170 years as a medical specialty. This is primarily because the risks associated with anesthetic drugs and techniques demand that they be administered by skilled physicians. As safer drugs and monitoring devices improved and advanced, the need for anesthesiologists saw an exponential rise. Apart from traditional areas of involvement, such as operating room anesthesia, critical care, and pain medicine, anesthesia now encompasses palliative and oncological care, emergency life support, research, and resuscitation. The role of Anesthesiologist in the COVID pandemic has been incomparable, and it would not be wrong to say that Anesthesiologists are the backbone of medical care with the paramount expertise that they bring along.

Anesthesia: Scope and Challenges

With the advancement of consumer technology and telemedicine, anesthesiology has expanded its horizons as a specialty. Preoperative evaluations are now possible to perform via teleconference. Inside the operating suite, monitoring has become less invasive and more sophisticated, and clinical decision support systems are common. There has been automation in the delivery of anesthetics and it is beyond doubt that there will be future opportunities for anesthesiologists in pharmacogenomics as well as health care systems management.

‘Anesthesia: A landmark in the revolution of medical science providing safer and pain-free healthcare to the world. #worldanesthesiaday #16october #anesthesia’

However, these advancements are not uniformly distributed across the globe. Barriers to anesthesia and surgical care in developing nations include a lack of infrastructure, a trained work force, essential equipment, basic supplies, and financing. Anesthesia work force density, as reported by the World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiology, is lowest in countries in Africa and Southeast Asia (2^✔).

Anesthesia and AI: The Way Ahead

The current century has witnessed a rise in AI-based research articles and their translation to clinical anesthesia, which needs to be addressed. Artificial intelligence-supported closed-loops systems have been designed for the pharmacological maintenance of anesthesia and hemodynamic management in the perioperative period. Robots have been designed and programmed to perform dexterity, and skill-based tasks such as intubation and regional blocks with precision. Artificial intelligence has the potential to impact the practice and future of anesthesiology in aspects ranging from perioperative management to critical care delivery and outpatient pain management (3^✔).

Annual theme 2023: Anesthesia and Cancer Care

The World Federation of Societies of Anesthesiology has given the theme of Anesthesia and Cancer care to the year 2023. It aims to raise awareness of the vital role that anesthesia plays in the management of cancer. It further advocates strengthening onco-anesthesia and palliative care services to improve patient outcomes, including pain and palliative care in patients with cancer.

References:

1. Ether day: an intriguing history - (https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920664/)
2. Recent advances in the technology of anesthesia - (https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7236591/)
3. Artificial intelligence and anesthesia: A narrative review - (https:www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8846233/)

Source: Medindia

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