36 - The impaired anesthesiologist – addiction

Summary

Chemical dependence in the form of addiction is a chronic relapsing disease characterized by the overwhelming compulsion to use drugs in spite of adverse consequences. The practice of anesthesiology provides the setting for a susceptible host by offering an environment in which powerfully addictive drugs are immediately available for abuse. Addictive disease in the form of chemical dependency is present in all classes, cultures, and professions including healthcare professionals. A major occupational hazard of anesthesiologists is the development of addictive disease, which, in the light of the specialty's powerful drugs, often involves a rapidly progressive, life- and career-threatening pattern of behavior. Anesthesiologists have an ethical responsibility to be knowledgeable about addiction, to detect it in its earliest stages, and to support the treatment, rehabilitation, and eventually, if appropriate, reentry into the workplace of a recovering colleague.