Anesthesia, which once started merely as a technique and procedure to kill pain during operation, has developed into an independent medical speciality including pain management, intensive and critical care as well as cardiopulmonary resuscitation. This fact is to be welcome, but on the other hand it seems worthwhile to reconsider how anesthesiologists should be and what their proper activities are, because their working fields have extended too widely. The author emphasizes that the orthodox tasks of anesthesiologists are analgesia and management of patients in relation to operation and that outstanding knowledges and techniques in anesthesia are the essential background for their participation in pain clinic, intensive care unit and other related fields.
In the practice of anesthesia "safety first" should be kept in mind as a supreme requirement. In pain clinic they should be aware of the indications and limitations of their techniques and make more efforts to alleviate postoperative pain. In intensive care unit it is desirable for them to have more concern about terminal care. Recently brain death has drawn an increasing attention, particularly in connection with human death and organ transplantation. Anesthesiologists should take a prudent attitude when they are confronted with a case of suspected brain death in resuscitation.
