Nicholas Bullen

Mr. Rajca
Apprenticeship
12 May 2009
Day Two
Today demonstrated the variety of workloads a doctor can face. After an initial
patient at 7:00 AM, there was just one more at 10:30. Beyond that, there was no one. I did
learn some more about the profession, however.
I learned of three major drugs anesthesiologists use. The first is Profonol, a
sedative/hallucinogen. In small doses, Profonol is a sedative, but in larger ones, it is a
hallucinogen, that is, it reduces a patients mental activity to a level that they stop
breathing; hence the breathing apparati.
The second is Versed. Versed is an amnesiac, which causes a fully awake
patient to forget all the events that occurred during the drugs usage. Thus, during events
such as colonoscopy, which uses only light sedatives, Versed allows the patient to forget
the trauma of the event, and fulfills the meaning of the word anesthesia: without
sensation.
The third drug that I encountered was Decadron. Decadron is a steroid; it is used
as an anti-emetic and anti-inflammatory. This is particularly useful to an anesthesiologist
because it prevents swelling during the intubation and prevents vomiting post-operation.
(Intubation is the insertion of the breathing apparati into the larynx.)
After observing the two operations today (a colonoscopy and hysterectomy) I was
allowed to read some of Dr. Skrabats textbooks. I learned of localized anesthesia, using

tourniquets and various drugs to remove sensation in a particular part of the body, and
also learned about various lines of nerves, like dematic, osseous, and muscular.
Anesthesiologists have actions that can inhibit their transmission of information in each
of the sectors, and indeed in all of them at once. Some hospitals are against localized
anesthesia due to the theoretical possibility that the patient could move his extremities
during surgery.
To conclude, even during a slow day, I learned a good deal. I learned of the
specific drugs favoured by anesthesiologists, more of the procedures involved, and of
localized anesthesia. It was a productive day, even if there were only two cases.