title: Anaesthesia for cardiac surgery.
abstract: Perhaps no form of surgery is as emotive as that on the heart. From ancient times, seen as the seat of the emotions, the heart has been recognised as a vital if, at times, mysterious organ. Its grip on the imagination of primitive peoples is exemplified in the extreme by the climax of the human sacrificial ceremonies carried out by the Aztec and Inca peoples of Mexico and Peru: the holding aloft by the priest of the victim's still-beating heart. Nowadays, although we might congratulate ourselves on the heights of civilization which we have attained, it is salutary to consider that such cultural achievements are but a veneer through which primordial emotions frequently burst. As professional nurses, however, while appreciating the emotions of our patients and relatives with regard to cardiac surgery, we need to exercise sufficient detachment so that effective care may be delivered. This article will discuss cardiac anaesthesia generally, but will not touch on the specialised subjects of transplantation. It also accepts that techniques and drug regimes vary from centre to centre.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rooney
mesh_terms: D000758:Anesthesia / Q000379:methods*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures; D006801:Humans; D007430:Intraoperative Care; D016343:Monitoring, Intraoperative; D011300:Preoperative Care