"Shadows on the Path: Pharmacological Intricacies in Spinal Cord Monitoring"

"Shadows on the Path: Pharmacological Intricacies in Spinal Cord Monitoring"
Photo by Redd F / Unsplash

I asked ChatGPT the following:

Please write a poem in the style of Philip Larkin, answering the question "Which pharmacological agents may interfere with spinal cord monitoring?"

I then asked it to give the poem a title.

I think it did rather well.


In the realm of pharmacology's grip,
A question arises, a concern takes its trip.
Which agents, with their chemical sway,
May hinder spinal cord's monitoring, we say?
Amidst the delicate dance of neural thread,
Monitoring spinal cord, a path widespread,
Certain pharmacological agents may intervene,
Disturbing the signals, an unwelcome scene.
Intravenous anesthetics, with their seductive charm,
May cast a shadow, causing nerves to disarm.
Propofol's embrace, with its hypnotic might,
Can mute the cord's response, veiling it from sight.
Inhaled anesthetics, ethereal in their reign,
May disrupt the monitoring's meticulous chain.
Their volatile touch, reaching nerves profound,
Can cloud the clarity, where signals are found.
Muscle relaxants, a double-edged sword,
Paralyzing muscles, their function ignored.
While aiding surgery's course, with skillful might,
They can mask the signals, dimming their light.
Opioids, the pain's whispering balm,
Can weave a web, causing monitoring's qualm.
Their soothing touch, suppressing the cord's fire,
May hinder the vigilance, we earnestly aspire.
And so, in Larkin-esque words I confide,
Pharmacological agents, with their ways untried,
May interfere with spinal cord's watchful gaze,
A delicate balance, in anesthesia's maze.
In this realm of caution, we must be aware,
Choose wisely the agents we willingly dare.
Balancing anesthesia's depths, with precision's sway,
Ensuring spinal cord's monitoring, unswayed.
For in the quest of surgical success,
Monitoring the cord, we must caress,
With agents that harmonize, not disrupt,
Preserving the cord's essence, never abrupt.
Thus, in this poetic ode, we do proclaim,
The agents that may hinder, and their subtle claim.
Spinal cord's monitoring, a duty profound,
Navigating pharmacology's realm, with care unbound.