Paralytics

In common conversation, you may have heard that all anesthesiologists do is "put people to sleep," but that is far more a euphemism than a reality. Part of an anesthesiologist's medical care is to create akinesia, which involves the administration of muscle-relaxing agents - essentially paralyzing the patient. This episode introduces the paralytics, their mechanisms of action, and special usages in the operating room and intensive care unit.