Anaesthesia

Question 1

Define the term anaesthesia

Answer 1

A state of controlled and reversible unconsciousness characterised by lack of pain sensation (analgesia), lack of memory (amnesia) and relatively depressed reflex response

Question 2

Why do we use anaesthesia?

Answer 2

Humanitarian (prevent pain)
Practical (immobilise patient)
Legal (protection of animals act)

Question 3

How can anaesthesia be achieved?

Answer 3

Intravenous injection
Intramuscular injection
Inhalational route
Intraperitoneal - used in small mammals

Question 4

What as an RVN, can you do during anaesthesia?

Answer 4

Drug administration - under VS direction
Pre-med admin
Intubation of the patient
Selecting appropriate equipment (ET tube, circuit, clippers, swab, tube tie etc.)
Monitoring - HR, RR, oxygen saturation etc.
Pre-anaesthetic blood test
Weigh and TPR
Admit and consent
Cleaning equipment and making sure its ready for use
Emergency response
Safety checks
Recovery and monitoring
Extubate

Question 5

How can local anaesthesia be given?

Answer 5

topical 
infiltrative 
block
epidural 
Intravenous regional

Question 6

What is the triad of anaesthesia?

Answer 6

Amnesia
Analgesia
Muscle relaxation

Question 7

What risks are faced?

Answer 7

Equipment
Patient inflicted injuries
Accidental self injection of drugs
Risk of exposure to anaesthetic agents and nitrous oxide

Question 8

How is exposure to volatile agents minimised?

Answer 8

Good ventilation of op/prep/working area
Regular servicing of equipment
Use of well fitting ET tubes
Use of scavenging systems

Question 9

What can short term exposure to volatile agents cause?

Answer 9

headaches, dizziness

Question 10

What can long term exposure to volatile agents cause?

Answer 10

Reproductive problems, harm to unborn foetus

Question 11

What are the types of anaesthesia?

Answer 11

General and local

Question 12

Define General Anaesthesia

Answer 12

State of controlled and reversible unconsciousness characterised by lack of pain sensation, lack of memory and relatively depressed reflex response.

Question 13

How can general anaesthesia be induced?

Answer 13

I/V, I/M, I/P or inhalational

Question 14

What are advantages of general anaesthesia?

Answer 14

Convenience and practicality
Rapid loss of consciousness
A wide surgical field is available and a wide variety of surgical procedures can be performed

Question 15

What are disadvantages of general anaesthesia?

Answer 15

Need for restraint of the patient prior to induction
Requirement for skilled administration and continued monitoring of the patient
A degree of cardiovascular and respiratory depression is a feature of general anaesthesia

Question 16

What is local anaesthesia?

Answer 16

Targeted analgesia, Pre-emptive analgesia

Can be used alone or combined with GA as part of a multi-modal analgesic approach

Question 17

How does local anaesthesia work?

Answer 17

blocking sodium channels of nerve endings which leads to nerve impulse conduction
Sensory neurons more sensitive
Producing local analgesia

Question 18

In what order do sensations disappear?

Answer 18

Pain
Cold
Warmth
Touch
Pressure
They return in the opposite order

Question 19

How can local anaesthesia be administrated?

Answer 19

Local infiltration
Regional anaesthesia 
Spinal
Trans-mucosal 
Trans-cutaneous

Question 20

What are uses of local anaesthesia?

Answer 20

Intubation in cats
Exotics
Large animals
Eye surgery