Washington, D.C. is home to 296 practicing anesthesiologists who have offices in 1 county and 18 zip codes, including zip codes 20010, 20037, 20007, 20060, 20016, 20017, 20001, 20032, 20036, 20422, 20011, 20003, 20009, 20307, 20521, 20020, 20015, and 20008.

According to 2005 Census estimates, Washington, D.C. has a population of 550,521, which gives it a specialist to resident ratio of 1 anesthesiologist for every 1,859 residents.

Description

Anesthesiology is the practice of blocking pain, discomfort or distress during surgery or an obstetric or diagnostic procedure. An anesthesiologist is specially trained to plan, monitor and administer pain relief before and during an operation, and assess the patient’s condition and recovery afterwards. This specialist consults with patients for pain management, such as cancer patients, and those with critical illnesses or severe injuries.

Diseases / Illnesses Treated

Physicians in this specialty treat patients suffering from numerous diseases and illnesses, but some of the most common are anesthesia awareness and malignant hyperthermia (mh).

Procedures Performed

Once properly diagnosed, practitioners can perform numerous procedures on patients including relaxation, homeostasis, and analgesia.

Tests Performed

To diagnose patients with possible illnesses and diseases, specialists will often perform one of many tests including  halothane caffeine contracture test.