General Anesthesia in Patients with Cardiac Risk Factors

 

General Anesthesiapic

General Anesthesia
Image: webmd.com

Dr. Richard Rust serves as an anesthesiologist at Northside Anesthesia Services in Indianapolis, Indiana, where he works to ensure patients’ comfort and safety during surgery. In cases of elective surgery, Dr. Richard Rust may help to determine whether a patient’s heart is strong enough for anesthesia.

General anesthesia keeps patients insensible to pain during surgery by rendering them unconscious. In doing so, however, the anesthetic drugs also suppress several of the body’s core automatic functions, including heartbeat and circulation. Because certain procedures put a higher strain on the heart, patients with pre-existing heart conditions may be at higher risk of heart problems, such as myocardial infarction (heart attack), during surgery. Fortunately, there are preventive steps that an anesthesiologist can take, provided that patients disclose those elements of their history.

Full disclosure of medical history is also essential to an anesthesiologist’s ability to prevent irregular heart rate during surgery. This irregularity, known as arrhythmia, may occur when the heart adjusts to compensate for surgery-related changes in blood flow. Because certain medications can increase these risks, anesthesiologists must also be alerted of patient medication regimens.

A heart condition does not necessarily mean that a person will experience any of these complications, but it may mean that a patient’s doctor will caution against elective surgery. If the surgery is medically necessary, however, the patient will need extremely close monitoring by a qualified anesthesiologist.

Beginner Weightlifting Tips

Beginner Weightlifting pic

Beginner Weightlifting
Image: mensfitness.com

An Indiana University School of Medicine graduate, Dr. Richard Rust works as an anesthesiologist at Northside Anesthesia Services in Indianapolis, Indiana. When he isn’t working with patients at his Indianapolis-based office, Dr. Richard Rust enjoys studying the science behind weightlifting and physical fitness.

Perhaps the biggest mistake that beginning weightlifters make is focusing on specialized lifts that target small muscle groups. This technique, known as isolation training, has its place, but beginners are best served by focusing on lifts that target multiple muscle groups.

Lifts such as squats, overhead presses, cable (or bent over) rows, and bench presses work several muscle groups and help build overall strength, which lays the foundation for isolation lifts down the road. Beginners should start with a basic routine and make small changes over time.

All weightlifters should lift no more weight than they can control. Developing good form is more important than finding the absolute maximum amount of weight you can lift. Focusing on form will prevent errors that can result in injury.

The Effects of Sunlight Exposure on the Skin

A respected Indianapolis physician, Dr. Richard Rust is a member of the private practice group Riverview Anesthesiolgists, PC. Dr. Richard Rust has extensive knowledge of skin care and of the way in which skin can be damaged by the sun. The issue of sun damage is challenging, as many people seek out opportunities to tan as a way of enhancing the outward appearance of good health.

Unfortunately, the ultraviolet light contained in sun rays has a cumulative effect of damaging elastin. These skin fibers keep the skin tight and able to return to its original position after stretching. When the elastin fibers deteriorate, the skin becomes permanently stretched and tears and bruises can occur more easily.

With skin immune functions compromised, it is easier for pre-cancerous and cancerous skin lesions to occur. In addition, freckles, wrinkles, and sagging skin begin to predominate. While sunblock is effective in keeping out some portion of damaging UV rays, physicians concur that it makes sense to avoid prolonged exposure to direct sunlight, particularly during the hottest hours of the day.

How Long Is the Ideal Exercise Session?

Dr. Richard Rust, the author of Skin Care for Men, earned his MD from the Indiana University School of Medicine. He currently practices as a staff anesthesiologist with Northside Anesthesia services in Indianapolis. Outside of work, Dr. Richard Rust enjoys driving convertibles, reading, and exercising.

The recommended amount of exercise the average person should get in a week can vary from doctor to doctor. For example, the World Health Organization sets the target at 150 minutes, or 2 1/2 hours, of moderate physical activity per week. Other specialists recommend an additional 30–45 minutes a week of strength training, such as weightlifting or digging in one’s garden.

Most experts agree, however, that the week’s exercise does not have to be performed in a single 2 1/2 hour session. Instead, it’s usually more convenient to break that down into several 10- or 15-minute exercise breaks during the week, as short exercise periods can have more beneficial effects than longer ones.

In fact, one recent study demonstrated that taking a short walk after dinner was more effective in reducing blood levels of fat and triglycerides. Another study showed that several six-minute sessions were as effective in helping sedentary adults achieve fitness goals as a single 30-minute workout. For those trying to quit smoking, one study suggested that shorter bursts of exercise could reduce the craving for nicotine.