Lines

Setting up a room might not seem like a big deal, but it's one of the jobs of the anesthesiologist. Operating rooms can get crowded really quickly, and in an emergency, knowing where everything is, how everything works, and which lines, tubes, and cords are critical matter. One of the initially overwhelming things starting out is the number of things between the patient and the machines - mainting airway and IV access, measuring blood pressure, temperature, carbon dioxide, EKG, and oxygen, providing electricity to different gadgets, draining urine and stomach fluid, etc. In my first few days, all of these got tangled up and I couldn't figure out which lines did what. Only with time have I started to learn to organize all these tubes and cords to protect the patient (for example, the airway should be on top so that other cords do not drag it down and pull the breathing tube out). For any entrepreneurs, I wonder if cordless or wireless devices could someday be implemented to cut down on the clutter in the operating room. In any case, I think it's interesting to write about the small things because someday I'll look back and realize all of this has become second nature.