[Taking an Active Part in a Palliative Care Unit as an Anesthesiologist]

Palliative care prevents and relieves total pain of patients and their families and improves their quality of life. The author describes the work of anesthesiologists in palliative care unit as ward staffs. The need for palliative care units is increasing and new palliative care units are being established throughout Japan. Anesthesiologists are involved in anesthesia, pain management intensive care, emergency medicine and palliative care. The anesthesiologists in palliative care are involved in use of opioid and nerve block for treating physical pain. Sedatives such as minor tranquilizer to sedate a patient under regional anesthesia are used by anesthesiologists in operating rooms. Anesthesiologists manage the patients who need to be sedated for relief of refractory sufferings by sedative drugs in palliative care unit It is important that we anesthesiologists walk alongside the patients when they need to be heard in the end of life stage. We expect that it is a key point to palliate spiritual pain of the patients. I hope many young anesthesiologists serve as capable members in the palliative care unit in the future.