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Anesthesiology/conscious and unconscious

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Expert: - 5/16/2009


Question
When a person is asleep at night, are they unconscious?


Answer
Although  I am tempted to answer "yes", as an anesthesiologist I am probably not the best expert for this question which may be more of a semantic one than a scientific or medical one. Normal sleep is not the same as an anesthetic--to put it simply, and I recognize that exceptions and overlapping means of assessing either apply.  One's definition of unconciousness would be pertinent to the answer as well.

You may wish to pose the question to the etymology and psychiatry experts as well.

Anesthesiology

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Volunteer

JM Starkman, MD

Experience

Over twenty-five years of adult and pediatric, inpatient and outpatient clinical anesthesia practice--some private, some group.

Organizations
American Association of Physicians and Surgeons. My county medical society.

Publications
[not a researcher]

Education/Credentials
American medical school graduate. Board Certified. Fellowship trained Cardiovascular and Pediatric anesthesia subspecialist.

Past/Present Clients
Over 20,000 anesthetics, the majority of which have been personally managed, with less than 5% consisting of supervising nurse anesthetists or in-training resident physicians.

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