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anesthetic
A substance put on or into the body to cause temporary loss of physical sensation and make a patient unconscious during uncomfortable medical treatment. Because patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) are likely to experience invasive procedures (ones that puncture their body to get inside of it and relieve or remove what causes suffering), they benefit from receiving anesthetics. Critical care anesthesiologists, who are in charge of planning and supervising the administration of anesthetics with physicians, nurses, and family members in the ICU, most often do so for patients requiring end-of-life care.

Keywords
anesthetic, anesthetics, anesthesia, sensation, sensations, unconscious, uncomfortable, discomfort, invasive, procedure, procedures, anesthesiologist, anesthesiologists
Last modified at 9/8/2009 8:55 AM  by Committee 
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