Dr Shruti Sharma
In the battle against the global pandemics that the world has faced over the last few centuries, and COVID-19 being the most recent one, there have been countless frontline heroes who, with their untiring efforts, made a difference in the lives of many. Anesthesiologists, being in the spotlight, brought their specialized skills, critical care expertise, and adaptability to the forefront. They not only played the role of airway experts, respiratory physicians, or intensivists but also stood up to assume leadership roles in an unknown, unclear scenario of global crisis, apart from practicing their conventional roles as perioperative physicians. Their roles extended far beyond the operating rooms that were vital for effective pandemic response and patient care.
CRUCIAL ROLE OF ANESTHESIOLOGISTS DURING THE PANDEMIC:
On Frontline of Critical Care:
As the COVID-19 cases surged, anesthesiologists became the front-line warriors in intensive care units. Being the ones at the emergency rooms, they witnessed infected patients who desperately needed medical help at that crucial hour. They were seen intubating patients, maintaining their oxygenation and ensuring the patients’ safe transport within and outside hospitals. Their expertise in airway management played a pivotal role in handling severe respiratory distress and played a crucial role in improving patient outcomes.
Management of Ventilation and administration of Anesthesia:
The respiratory complications associated with the infection required advanced respiratory support including mechanical ventilation. With ever-changing patient parameters and their oxygen requirements varying with every passing moment, it was important for them to keep a constant check on the patient’s vitals and also to perform their monitoring, utilizing their expert acumen. Anesthesiologists nurtured their skills to optimize oxygenation and to logically manage ventilator settings to deliver optimal patient outcomes. They also played a momentous role in the administration of anesthesia during the pandemic, as it required a detailed risk evaluation and planning, for its execution.
Pain Management, Procedural Sedation and Interventions:
Anesthesiologists were the ones who were involved in providing procedural sedation for various medical interventions, including those required for pandemic-related illnesses. All this needed precisely calculated doses of drugs and medications which would make the procedure run smoothly and, at the same time, would be absolutely safe for the already compromised COVID-19 patient. Another aspect where they meticulously employed their skills, was managing acute and chronic pain in COVID patients. The drugs to be administered to the patient, had to be precisely weighed as per their safety profile, pharmacology, metabolism, their interaction with the already prescribed drugs. It also required an elaborate assessment of the patient’s clinical status.
Challenges Encountered by Anesthesiologists during the pandemic:
Adapting to changing roles and protocols:
Anesthesiologistshad to quickly adapt to ever-changing and evolving treatment protocols, practice them at ground zero with utmost commitment, and ensure that their skills were utilized where they were most needed. Further recalling those treatment modalities at that very juncture and applying them practically at such high-pressure situations was indeed incredible and astounding.
Resource Management Challenges and Solutions:
The pandemic brought forth unprecedented challenges in resource management as it led to a shortage of essential medical supplies and equipment. As the surge in patients requiring intensive care increased, their expertise in resource allocation became vital in optimizing outcomes. Their active involvement in implementing the resource protocols and expertise in pharmacology to manage drugs and medications proved crucial to evolving newer treatment strategies.
Collaboration and Teamwork:
Anesthesiologists collaborated closely with other healthcare experts, including intensivists, respiratory therapists, pulmonologists, and nurses within and across the globe. This multidisciplinary approach ensured a comprehensive and coordinated ability to work in tandem with other specialties. Thisprobably proved to be the key factor in the overall success of pandemic management.
Training and educating the world:
Anesthesiologists deliberated their efforts to educate all first-contact health care professionals, as well as the people in the community, regarding the treatment protocols to follow and basic life support training and guided them to efficiently handle the challenges posed by the pandemic at the hospital as well as at their homes. They actively contributed to scientific literature, sharing insights, research findings, and best practices related to the management of COVID-19 that proved beneficial in saving numerous precious lives.
Exploring telemedicine healthcare platform:
The pandemic prompted a rapid evolution in health care delivery with telemedicine emerging as a crucial tool. The anesthesiologists provided virtual consultations to the patients, monitoring and treating them across the globe, when it was arduous to reach out for any professional help.
Mental Health Advocates and Emotional Toll:
The toll of the pandemic extended beyond physical health, affecting the mental well-being of both patients as well as health care providers. Anesthesiologists witnessing that pain and suffering emerged as advocates for mental health support for the world. The constant exposure to critically ill patients, the emotional burden of witnessing the patients’ sufferings, and the fear of personal exposure to the virus and infecting one’s own family while treating others created a unique challenge for these pandemic heroes, not letting go in those trying times. They became the patients’ counselors, advisors, guides, healers, sympathizers, and even family when there was no one but them to depend upon.
Looking Forward:
The Anesthesiologists emerged as sentinels of endurance, redefining their roles in the healthcare system and contributing completely to COVID-19 response efforts. In the aftermath of this pandemic, they have left behind a remarkable impression of being an indispensable part of our healthcare system, emphasizing preparedness for future crises, improved telehealth integration, and enhanced infection control measures.
CONCLUSION:
In the face of unprecedented challenges, these born leaders have not just navigated through the storm; they have also emerged as beacons of resilience, compassion, and unwavering commitment toward patient care. As we applaud their tireless efforts, let their legacy inspire a future where healthcare leadership is defined by courage, innovation, and dedication toward healing. In the chapters beyond this pandemic, may the indomitable spirit of our PANDEMIC PIONEERS, the Anesthesiologists, continue to illuminate the path toward a much brighter, happier, and healthier world.
(The writer is Additional Professor, Department Of Anesthesiology, AIIMS Jammu).