Anesthesia in an austere setting: lessons learned from the haiti relief operation.

The practice of medicine to care for injured patients after an earthquake can challenge physicians. The great need requires an open mind to develop anesthetic plans around locally available resources. A focus on monitored anesthetic care and regional anesthesia is frequently practiced and beneficial to patients. Anesthesiologists will serve as leaders to organize perioperative surgical services and provide input into the ethical triage of patients. The physicians should be mentally and physically prepared to enter into service in this disorganized zone of service to provide care.