Week 6 Day 3

Today was a pretty good day in anesthesia world.  We started the day off with rounds, where one of the anesthesiologists review the anesthesia cases with the fourth years and us first years listen in.  Then it was off to colloquium for our second lecture on financial planning.  After that, it was back to the clinic to view some anesthesia procedures and then at 11 o'clock I had my assessment on intubating the mannequin and the parts of the anesthesia machine.  After lunch, I had my first go at intubating a dog.  I gave the premedication which sedated the dog a little bit.  Then, after an IV catheter was placed I administered some propofol which is the inducing agent and puts the animal out enough for me to place the intubation tube.  One of my classmates held the dogs head up and its tongue straight out, and I, with the help of a tool that helps open the airway, placed the tube down into the dogs trachea.  Then it was time to place the needles to measure the electrical activity of the heart, place the thermometer down into the dogs esophagus (its not a regular thermometer, it is a long, thin tube that can go down into the esophagus), start fluids through the catheter, and place the anesthesia tubing onto the endotracheal tube (the official name of the tube I had placed).  After that, two of my classmates and I monitored the dog until we had to go to our lecture on monitoring the anesthetized patient at which point a fourth year student came and took over.  I am now on a break from the rotation until four at which point we will afternoon rounds.  We already have 9 cases for tomorrow so I'm thinking we will be quite busy tomorrow which is nice!