#anesthesia technologist

Analgesia / Sedation

Diprivan (Propofol) – Sedation/anesthesia; CI: egg/soy allergy, hypotension; dilute in NS/D5W; best for rapid ICU sedation. Dose: Induction 1–2.5 mg/kg IV; infusion 5–50 mcg/kg/min

Piopam (likely Flunitrazepam) – Sedation/anxiolysis; CI: severe respiratory depression; usually undiluted IV push; best for pre-op sedation. Dose: 0.5–2 mg orally or IV

Diazepam (Valium) – Benzodiazepine sedative/muscle relaxant; CI: severe resp. depression, myasthenia gravis; no dilution for IV push; best for seizures/anxiety. Dose: 2–10 mg IV slowly

Midazolam (Versed) – Short-acting benzodiazepine sedative; CI: hypotension/shock; dilute in NS for infusion; best for short ICU sedation. Dose: 0.02–0.1 mg/kg IV bolus; infusion 0.02–0.1 mg/kg/h

Lorazepam (Ativan) – Benzodiazepine sedative/anxiolytic; CI: hypotension, narrow-angle glaucoma; no dilution for bolus; best for long-term sedation, seizure control. Dose: 1–4 mg IV every 2–6 h

Ketamine – Dissociative anesthetic analgesic; CI: hypertension, raised ICP; dilute in NS/D5W; best for pain and hemodynamic instability. Dose: 1–2 mg/kg IV bolus; infusion 0.1–0.5 mg/kg/h

Thiopental – Barbiturate induction agent; CI: porphyria, severe cardio/respiratory disease; dilute in NS; best for rapid anesthesia induction. Dose: 3–5 mg/kg IV bolus

Fentanyl – Potent opioid analgesic; CI: severe respiratory depression; dilute in NS; best for severe pain and anesthesia adjunct. Dose: 1–2 mcg/kg IV bolus; infusion 1–2 mcg/kg/h

Remifentanil – Ultra-short-acting opioid; CI: severe respiratory depression; dilute in NS/D5W; best for short procedures. Dose: Infusion 0.05–2 mcg/kg/min

Paracetamol (Acetaminophen) – Analgesic/antipyretic; CI: severe liver disease; dilute in NS (IV); best for mild/moderate pain, fever. Dose: 1 g IV every 6–8 h (max 4 g/day)

Acupan (Nefopam) – Non-opioid analgesic; CI: seizure disorders, angle-closure glaucoma; dilute in NS; best for moderate pain without respiratory depression. Dose: 20 mg IV slowly (max 120 mg/day)

Muscle Relaxants / NMBA

Atracurium – Non-depolarizing NMBA; CI: allergy; dilute in NS; best for short-term paralysis. Dose: 0.4–0.5 mg/kg IV bolus

Azmeron (Rocuronium) – Non-depolarizing NMBA; CI: allergy; dilute in NS; best for rapid sequence intubation. Dose: 0.6–1.2 mg/kg IV bolus

Succhyline (Succinylcholine) – Depolarizing NMBA; CI: hyperkalemia, burns, neuromuscular disease; no dilution; best for rapid intubation. Dose: 1–1.5 mg/kg IV bolus

Antidotes

Neostigmine – NMBA reversal; CI: GI/GU obstruction; dilute in NS; best for reversing paralysis. Dose: 0.03–0.07 mg/kg IV

Sugammadex – NMBA reversal for rocuronium/vecuronium; CI: severe renal impairment; no dilution; best for rapid reversal. Dose: 2–16 mg/kg IV

Antibiotics

Ceftriaxone – Broad-spectrum cephalosporin; CI: severe penicillin allergy; reconstitute with sterile water; best for sepsis/pneumonia. Dose: 1–2 g IV daily, don't use with Ringer fluids

Steroids

Dexacure (Dexamethasone) – Potent corticosteroid; CI: systemic fungal infection; no dilution for bolus; best for cerebral edema/allergy. Dose: 4–10 mg IV bolus

Hydrocortisol (Hydrocortisone) – Corticosteroid; CI: systemic fungal infection; dilute in NS; best for adrenal insufficiency/shock. Dose: 100–200 mg IV every 6–8 h

Gastrointestinal and Antiemetics

Ondansetron ( Ondagin): 5-HT3 antagonist antiemetic; CI: QT prolongation; dilute in NS; best for nausea/vomiting. Dose: 4–8 mg IV slowly

Semotidine (Famotidine) – H2 blocker; CI: allergy; dilute in NS; best for stress ulcer prophylaxis. Dose: 20 mg IV every 12 h

Metocol (Metoclopramide) – Prokinetic, antiemetic; CI: GI obstruction, Parkinson’s; dilute in NS; best for nausea/gastroparesis. Dose: 10 mg IV every 8 h

Cardiovascular

Betaloc (Metoprolol): – β-blocker; CI: bradycardia, AV block; dilute in NS; best for rate control/hypertension. Dose: 2.5–5 mg IV every 2–5 min (max 15 mg)

Adrenex (Epinephrine) – Vasopressor; CI: none in emergencies; dilute in NS/D5W; best for cardiac arrest/shock. Dose: 1 mg IV every 3–5 min (arrest)

Ephikwal (Ephedrine) – Vasopressor; CI: hypertension, tachycardia; dilute in NS; best for anesthesia-induced hypotension. Dose: 5–10 mg IV bolus

Furosemide – Loop diuretic; CI: electrolyte depletion; dilute in NS; best for fluid overload/pulmonary edema. Dose: 20–40 mg IV bolus

Angeside (likely Enoxaparin) – Anticoagulant; CI: active bleeding, HIT; no dilution; best for DVT/PE prophylaxis. Dose: 40 mg SC daily

Respiratory

Aminophylline – Bronchodilator; CI: arrhythmias, seizure; dilute in D5W/NS; best for severe asthma/COPD. Dose: Loading 5–6 mg/kg IV over 20–30 min

Human body can take more than it should be taken

People get creative when they have so little resources, don't have an IV stand? Tape it to the surgical lights with a plaster

If you see two or three flies stop at a sterile surface, it's somehow still sterile

If your patient's foley bag starts leaking and drowning the operation room's floor, keep going, worry about cleanliness later

Seeing a gecko in the middle of the operation room is not the end of the world, keep going, pretend it's not there until he gets killed by a trolley by mistake

If you don't have a medicine that is relatively safer for you patient, use the dangerous one but like, treat the symptoms later

The air-conditioning leaking water all over the operation room's floor that is filled with wires and electricity is not a health hazard

You walking into the common area with your shoes is a health hazard but the dead rat in the ceiling isn't

Face masks are optional unless it's a patient with a contagious disease

Ortho bros are literally ortho bros the way we see them in the movies/tv shows and it's not just the surgeons, it's everyone in the department

Surgeons with multiple certificates are threatened and jealous of women just because they go to a fancy university and will try to undermine you and ridicule everything you do while speaking loudly and aggressively because they are truly insecure

Pens worth more than money, I saw a grown-ass man's face light up because his colleague gave him a pen, he insisted on paying and when she refused he would've given her a kidney if she asked, he was so happy that he kept writing on all surfaces in the operation room and showing it to the interns

Taxi Driver: So... you're a doctor?

Me: No, I'm actually an intern anesthesia technologist

Taxi Driver: So... You put people to sleep?

Me: Yeah

Taxi Driver: Do you know any good doctor?

Me: Actually no, I haven't been in the hospital long and I don't interact with doctors, I mostly monitor quietly near the anesthesia cart far away.

Taxi Driver: So... My son has a rash, what treatment do you recommend?

Today I went to the university to pay for my practicum, it took me around five minutes, however, a joyous event like that was ruined by no one other than Aaron.

Aaron is a guy that I started talking to two weeks ago. He was kind, sweet, funny and we clicked so well. For whole two weeks this guy's been flirting endlessly, showering me with attention, asking me out, telling me I'm pretty, asking about my daily activities. For two whole weeks, I'm under the impression that this guy might be someone I'm interested in dating.

However, the day before our "date" he came to me with the fact that he's going to get engaged. I was immediately alarmed, and I tried to cut the conversation short but he's persistent so I had to play along, my goal was to get out of this with the least damage possible.

I told him that I don't want to hangout with him because I'm uncomfortable now that I know he has a girlfriend, I told him that I don't want to see him but he kept insisting and insisting, and if you know one thing about men, men behave dramatically, and sometimes unexpectedly so I decided to go and see what he wanted.

I went for lunch, I was dressed casual, extremely exhausted, and sat there for three hours, smiling, playing pretend, and genuinely trying to get the day over with, by the time I was home, I felt completely like shit.

I forgot about him for a moment and focused on my scrubs order that just arrived, I tried to make plans to forget all about it but, he kept texting and texting. I started the ghosting process which is a lot of stress, trying to balance and find the perfect combination and time.

Meanwhile, I went to the doctor with my mom and the weirdest interaction happened. it was our turn to see the doctor, the interaction took less than ten minutes then her assistant led us through a backdoor and sent us to get the medicine from a pharmacy that's 180miles away.

There were five different pharmacies along the way that are closer, some patients were elderly but no, unless the medicine is brought from that specific pharmacy, that doctor would refuse it, the pharmacy person literally had to take photos as a proof.

I understand that some doctors make deals with pharmacies but they are usually embarrassed to admit it, they are embarrassed to be so public about it, this was something else! And the pharmacy sold the medicine overpriced so the doctor can sound humanitarian and humane for her low prices. It's purely insane!

Hello everyone! Don't worry, I didn't forget about this blog but, my training was delayed to middle of July. That's why I've been MIA and simply enjoying my vacation by doing extremely nothing.

Patient: *becomes hypotensive*

Anesthesia Tech: *panics and starts going through the drawers*

Anesthesia Tech: *finds Oxytocin*

Anesthesia Tech: *administers Oxytocin*

Patient: *has normal bp again*

Ventilator: *beeps about how the ECG isn't connected*

Me: *panics and waits for the anesthesia tech*

Anesthesia Tech: *returns*

Me: *panicked* THE ALARM IS READING THE ECG ISN'T CONNECTED

Anesthesia Tech: *panics for a moment* *has a moment of realization* dude, do you see any ECG machines in the room?

Me: No?

Anesthesia Tech: THE SURGERY DOESN'T NEED ECG YOU DUMBWIT THAT'S WHY WE DIDN'T CONNECT THE MACHINE TO BEGIN WITH AND WHY THE ALARM IS BEEPING!

Me:

The last month I started my internship at a private hospital, a whole different experience where the technologists literally told me to shove my information down the drain and restart with more accurate ones as they might've given my misinformation, so I've been learning a lot.

They are friendlier that's for sure, but their work hours are insane, imagine working twelve hours six days a week? I'd go crazy, considering that I did go crazy back when I was working eight hours six days a week and literally kept quitting because I needed the one week break before transitioning to another job, it was a life saver.

Anyhoo, my new scrub uniform is regal purple, the hospital came up with the weirdest color there is to distinguish us from the already existing staff, guess what happened once we started wearing the regal purple? THEY started wearing it too! So I suppose I need to change the blog's aesthetics to regal purple now, a task that I'm delaying for a while because... well, I'm too exhausted.

The reason why I'm generally exhausted is because I'm also going to uni at the same time as practicum, meaning I have exams, quizzes, and lots of assignments that I haven't even started yet!

My first day, I was assigned to observe at the gynecology department and witness the birth of children, let me tell you, the more time I spend there, the more I'm convinced that pregnancy is a scam, it's falsely advertised as this form of magical moment while it's actually a lot of pain, blood and other bodily fluids, completely disgusting.

They left me to tend to the recovery unit, my very first patient grabbed my hand and never let go, she made me promise not to leave her side and gave me the sweetest hand massage the entire time, she was still under the effect of Ketamine's hallucinations so that's why she was extremely emotional.

My second patient kept asking me what she gave birth to, I didn't know because I was more focused on her as a patient, the child is not my responsibility, she asked about it every five seconds, and kept telling me that I'm a good person, it was also adorable, I helped transport her to the room.

Then I had a male patient when I transferred to the general surgery department, he was all hallucinative and kept inviting everyone to his restaurant and told us not to let him to go to his room because his anesthesiologist cousin was planning on filming him make confessions -idiot cousin, if he tipped me earlier, I would've filmed him and sold it to him, jk loves, we have a code, don't worry- we asked him about his name, he said he was only certain about his name 90%, we were laughing just fine and had to be removed from the scene. Not cool.

I also had a patient with autism, he was kind, he was verbal but he wasn't very functional, I saw the anesthesiologist attending the case basically remove himself from the scene because he was too sympathetic with the boy, he kept telling us about how his life quality is forever altered, and how he would spend the day thinking about whether he's being taken care of appropriately at home or not. It's so rare to see a healthcare professional get emotional about a case because we do see all, it was so refreshing.

I also had a patient with lymphedema, or what's known as elephant foot, it's hereditary, she was so sweet but she started crying the moment she was left alone, I comforted her, a side of me that I never knew existed, stayed with her, she was nice, I couldn't stay to check the results of the surgery but I truly hope her life quality improved and everything went well, I'm still waiting for the hospital to post about her on social media, will keep you updated about it!