Anaesthetics Flashcards
Three things needed in anaesthetic?
Amnesia
Akinesis
Analgesia
+not harmful to patient
What is meant by amnesia for an anaesthetic?
No recall/response to noxious stimuli
Unconscious
What are the three steps of an anaesthetic?
Induction
Maintenance, monitoring
Reversal
What is induction and how long does it take and last?
Inducing LOC
Takes 10-20 secs and lasts 4-10mins
What are the 4 induction agents?
- Propofol
- Thiopentone
- Ketamine
- Etomidate
What is the most commonly used induction agent?
Propofol 95%
Propofol dose
1.5-2.5mg/kg
Two benefits of propofol
Suppresses airway reflex so broncho/laryngospasm unlikely
Low PONV
4 disadvantages of propofol
Lowers HR and BP
Painful to inject as thicc
Involuntary movements
Hiccups
Thiopentone dose
4-5mg/kg
Thiopentone class
Barbiturate
Thiopentone is mainly used when?
RSI (fast acting)
Benefit of thiopentone
Anti-epileptic, protects brain
5 disadvantages thiopentone
Lowers BP increases HR
Rash
Bronchospasm
If intra-arterial –> thrombosis and gangrene
Contraindicated in porphyria
Ketamine dose
1-1.5mg/kg
What does ketamine cause
Dissociative anaesthesia
Anterograde amnesia and profound analgesia
What is ketamine best used for
Sole anaesthetic in short, painful procedure
Ketamine benefit?
Bronchodilation
4 ketamine disadvantages
Slow onset
Increases HR and BP
N&V
Emergence phenomenon/delirium (esp in young women)
Etomidate dose
0.3mg/kg
Etomidate class
steroidal
Etomidate three benefits
Rapid onset
Haemodynamic stability (good in e.g. HF)
Least likely to = hypersens reaction
4 disadvantages etomidate
Pain to inject
Spont movement
Adrenal-cortico suppression (needed to maintain BP)
High incidence PONV
What are two ways you can maintain anaesthesia?
Propofol infusion (total IV anaesthesia)
Inhalation agents (aka volatiles, vapours)
What are the four inhalation agents?
Isoflurane 1.15%
Sevoflurane 2%
Desflurane 6%
Enflurane 1.6%
Benefit of isoflurane
Least effect on organ blood flow
Benefit of sevo
sweet smell
gas induction e.g. children
Benefit of desflurane
low lipid solubility
rapid onset and offset
long ops
Drawback of desflurane
Airway irritant- only use if intubated
What controls the concentration of volatile agent?
The proportion of O2/NO2 to the volatile. The machine is a closed circuit and the agent is not metabolised so remains in the circuit. In and En Sevo will eventually reach equilibrium. To stop the anaesthetic, increase the o2 to reduce the proportion of the volatile.
How do you get an idea of the brain concentration of the volatile agent?
End tidal measurement e.g. EnSevo
What is the benefit of using NO2?
Allows you to give less of the volatile for the same effect- good in elderly. It increases the MAC. Good to get the patient deeper in a very stimulating procedure e.g. abscess. NB NO2 must have some O2 as well
What is an SE of NO2?
PONV
What is MAC?
Minimum alveolar concentration
The conc of the vapour that prevents the reaction to a standard surgical stimulus in 50% subjects
Is analgesia given before or after the induction agent?
Before so it has time to work
When is analgesia required in an operation?
All the time including airway insertion and post-op
What analgesia is given intra-op?
Short acting opioid
three short acting opioids that are given intra op?
Remifentanyl
Alfentanyl
Fentanyl
Which opioid is most often given intra-op?
Fentanyl (90%)
Which opioid is more short acting?
Alfentanyl
How is remifentanyl given?
IVI
How do LAs work?
Inhibit sodium channel in nerve axon
When should you not use LA with adrenaline?
Penile block or digits
What 2 types of chemical are LAs?
Esters or amides
Name two topical analgesics
EMLA (50/50 lignocaine and prilocaine)
Ametop (tetracaine 4% gel)
Max dose lignocaine, with and without adrenaline
3mg/kg
7mg/kg with adrenaline
Max dose bupivacane , with and without adrenaline
2 and 2mg/kg
Max dose prilocaine, with and without adrenaline
6mg/kg and 9mg/kg
A 1% solution has how many mg/ml
10
Symptoms LA toxicity
Perioral numbness and tingling
tinnitus
Seizure
Arrhythmia
How do you treat LA toxicity?
Anaesthetic emergency!
ABCDE
100% O2
Stop surgeon, send for help
Crash trolley
Intralipid to soak up
Start IV fluids
Other than giving too much, how can LA toxicity occur?
Injecting into a vessel
What analgesic do you give intra and post-op?
Long acting opioids e.g. morphine, oxycodone, pethidine
How many days to become dependent on long acting opioid?
17
Under what weight (of a patient) do you reduce the dose of paracetamol?
45kg
Can you give tramadol with morphine?
yes
Can you give dihydrocodeine with morphine?
No
What is the dose of ketamine for analgesia?
0.25-0.5mg/kg
What is the anaesthetic way of assessing pain?
RAT
Recognise
Assess
Treat
What is allodynia?
Normal stimulus is painful
What is nociceptive pain?
Due to tissue injury, is protective
What is neuropathic pain?
Not protective
What is chronic pain? time scale
> 3m
When might you get hypo/hyperalgesia?
Peripheral neuropathy
Fibromyalgia
describe the pain pathway
nociceptors, peripheral nerves –> dorsal horn of the SC –>decassation –> secondary nerve up SC in spinothalamic tract –> thalamus –> cortex, limbic system, brainstem –> modulation in corticospinal tract (e.g. withdraw hand from burning stimulus)
Does the WHO analgesic ladder apply in severe acute nociceptive pain?
Reverse it
In the ‘assess’ part of RAT what 4 features of the pain do you need to determine?
Cancer/non-cancer
Noci or neuro
Acute/chronic
Other factors
Patient controlled analgesia is usually what drug?
IV morphine
What four structures does an epidural needle pass through to get to the epidural space?
Skin
SC fat
Supraspinous ligament
Ligamentum flavum
What space does a spinal block go into?
Sub arachnoid space
What does subarachnoid space contain?
CSF
What structures does a spinal block needle pass through?
Skin
SC fat
Supraspinous ligament
Ligamentum flavum
Epidural fat
Dura
Arachnoid
How long does an epidural take to work?
15-30m
What is in the epidural space?
Fat and blood vessels
What level do you put in an epidural?
Depends on op
Risk damage to SC above what level epidural?
L1
An epidural is put into what level during labour?
L2-S2
At what level does the subarachnoid space end?
S1
At what level does the spinal cord end?
L1/L2
At what level does the epidural spac end?
Sacrococcygeal hiatus
What level does a spinal go into?
L3-L5 (in SA space but below SC)
What is in a spinal block?
Usually LA and opioid
How long does a spinal take to work?
5-10min
Does a spinal also block motor?
Yes
How do you test a spinal has worked?
Cold spray as spinothalamic tract= pain and temp
What score is used to test motor block in a spinal anaesthetic?
Bromage scale
What is a side effect of spinal block?
Decreased BP (decreased sympathetic NS)
Spinal vs epidural:
Which is a single injection, which has a cannula for continuous infusion?
Spinal is single injection
Epidural continuous.
How is a nerve/plexus block given?
US guided
LA around the nerve (not into a vessel!)
Use cold spray to check
How long does a regional block last?
12-24hr
Is akinesis given in all surgeries?
No
What are the two types of muscle relaxant?
Depolarising and non-depolarising
How do depolarising muscle relaxants work?
Similar action to acetyl-choline on the nicotinic receptors at the synapse. But are hydrolysed very slowly by AChE
So muscle contraction occurs –> fatigue –> relaxation
Example of depolarising muscle relaxant?
Succinylcholine AKA suxamethonium
Suxamethonium dose
1.5-5mg/kg
Sux use?
RSI
SEs depolarising muscle relaxants
Fasciculation
Hyperkalaemia
Malignant hyperthermia
Raised ICP, raised IOP, raised gastric pressure
Sux apnoea
Muscle aches
Initially tachycardia, then bradycardia with repeated doses (can give atropine)
Increased salivation
Awareness (muscle relaxants in general)
How do non-depolarising muscle relaxants work?
Block nicotinic receptors so there is no contraction (competitive with ACh)
Example non-depolarising muscle relaxant
Atracurium
What is the onset of non-depolarising muscle relaxant?
Slow
Suxamethonium is made up of ?
2 Ach molecules together
How do you reverse non-depolarising muscle relaxant?
Neostigmine and glycopyrrolate
What is neostigmine?
Anti-cholinesterase- prevents the breakdown of ACh
Induces muscarinic effects of ACh e.g. bradycardia, excessive salivation, so you use Glycopyrrolate too.
How does glycopyrrolate work? SE?
Antimuscarinic
SE= N&V
What is a quicker but more expensive way to reverse non-depolarising muscle relaxant?
Suggamadex
Can non-depolarising muscle relaxants trigger malig hyperthermia?
No