Masui. The Japanese journal of anesthesiology
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The aim of Japanese Society of Anesthesiologists is to provide safe and comfortable medical care through biological management in emergency and intensive care using pain management and palliative medical care to deal with disease and surgery. Thus, in addition to the fields of intensive care medicine and emergency medicine, anesthesiologists have been expected to play an important role in the field of palliative medicine. Recently, anesthesiologists have been becoming professors and heads in the field of palliative medicine at many university hospitals in Japan. ⋯ It is appropriate at any age and at any stage of a serious illness and can be provided along with curative treatment. Palliative care is also appropriate for patients from the point of diagnosing a serious illness--not just for the end of life. Anesthesiologists should show more leadership in the field of such palliative medicine in Japan.
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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 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.