Analgesia: Local Anaesthetics Flashcards
how does conduction of an electrical impulse through a nerve occur?
all or nothing event called the action potential
what is an action potential?
all or nothing event that facilitates conduction of electrical impulse through nerves
what is an action potential caused by?
voltage dependent opening of sodium and potassium channels in the cell membrane
what ion channels are involved in the creation of an action potential?
Na+ and K+
describe the Na+ concentration outside a nerve cell
high
describe the K+ concentration outside a nerve cell
low
describe the Na+ concentration inside a nerve cell
low
describe the K+ concentration inside a nerve cell
high
how is the concentration of sodium and potassium within a nerve cell maintained?
Na+/K+ pump uses ATP to move 2 potassium ions and 3 sodium ions against their concentration gradients
how many sodium and potassium ions are exchanged by the Na+/K+ pump?
2K+ ions into the cell and 3Na+ ions out
what is the method of cell transport used in the Na+/K+ pump?
active transport
why is active transport required in the Na+/K+ pump?
as sodium and potassium are being moved against their concentration gradient
what causes the nerve cell membrane to become depolarised?
rate of Na+ entry to the cell exceeds K+ exit
what is occurring when a nerve cell becomes depolarised?
membrane looses negative electrical gradient
what is set off by the depolarisation of nerve cell membranes?
Na+ positive feedback which causes more voltage gated Na+ channels to open to cause the membrane to become even more depolarised
what is caused by increasing number of voltage gated Na+ channels opening in response to membrane depolarisation?
more voltage gated Na+ channels open to cause the membrane to become even more depolarised
what is the threshold for generation of an action potential?
15mV higher than RMP
what happens when the membrane potential reached 15mV higher than RMP?
an action potential is generated
when does the cell membrane repolarise following generation of an action potential?
when Na+ channels become inactivated and K+ channels open to allow K+ to exit the axon
how is the membrane potential returned to -70mV following generation of a action potential?
Na+ channels become inactivated and a set of K+ channels open to allow K+ to leave the axon
Na+ cells regain resting excitable state and Na+/K+ pump returns membrane potential to normal
describe how an action potential is generated
rate of Na+ entry to the cell exceeds K+ exit
membrane looses negative electrical gradient
Na+ positive feedback causes more voltage gated Na+ channels to open to cause the membrane to become even more depolarised
when a threshold of 15mV higher than RMP is reached an action potential is generated
how do local anaesthetic drugs affect action potential generation?
block Na+ channels and prevent generation of action potential
where are voltage operated Na+ channels found in the body?
all excitable tissue (not just nerve tissue)
what are voltage operated Na+ channels sensitive to?
membrane potential
what is the role of voltage operated Na+ channels?
selective passing of Na+ ions
what effect on the membrane are local anaesthetics said to have?
membrane stabilising
why are local anesthetics said to be membrane stabilising?
less likely that Na+ will move into the cell and begin membrane depolarisation
what are the 3 broad nerve types?
motor
sensory
autonomic
what are the types of motor nerves?
alpha
beta
gamma
what are the types of sensory nerves?
proprioceptors
mechanoreceptors
nociceptors
what types of nerve fibre are proprioceptors?
Aalpha
Abeta
what types of nerve fibre are mechanoreceptors?
Abeta
Adelta
what types of nerve fibre are nociceptors?
Adelta
C
what are the types of autonomic nerves?
preganglionic B
postganglionic C
what axons are more resistant to LA block?
larger diameter
why are larger diameter axons more resistant to LA block?
more heavily myelinated
why does level of myelination affect LA block efficacy?
myelin slows/resists movement of LA into nerve cells
what nervefibre types are more susceptible to LA block?
C fibres and Adelta
why are C fibres and Adelta fibres more susceptible to LA block?
C fibres are unmyelinated
Adelta fibres are only thinly myelinated
what fibres are preferentially blocked?
C fibres
Adelta fibres
why does preferential blocking occur?
due to sensitivity of some nerve fibres to LA block because of their level of myelination
what nerve fibres are blocked first due to preferential blocking?
nociceptive
what order will nerve blocking occur in due to preferential blocking?
nociceptive
proprioceptive
mechanoreceptive
motor
where is LA site of action
within nerve cells at the Na+ channel
where on the cell does LA have its action>
within the cell rather then on the outside
what are LA drugs made up of?
aromatic group (lipophillic)
basic side chain / tertiary aimide (hydrophillic)
linkage by either ester or amide
what are the aromatic group and basic side chain / tertiary aimide of a LA drug linked by?
ester or amide linkage
what type of molecules are LA drugs?
weak bases
what is the pKa of most LA drugs?
8-9
what form of LA can enter cells?
only the uncharged form can cross the lipid membrane
in order to have maxiumum LA effect what form does the drug need to be in?
uncharged
what is the proportion of uncharged LA governed by?
pH of the solution the LA is in
pKa of the LA
Henderson-Hasselbach equation
what affects how much of the LA is uncharged?
pKa of LA itself
pH of the solution it is in
what will lead to more uncharged fraction of LA?
if solution is closer to the pKa of the LA
what can lead to more ionised / charged LA?
more acidic solution so pH is further from pKa
what does pKa affect?
onset of LA action
what is the pKa of lidocaine?
7.8
what is the pKa of bupivacaine?
8.1
what is the pH of plasma?
7.4
of lidocaine and bupivacaine which has the slower onset of action?
bupivacaine
why does bupivacaine have a slower onset of action than lidocaine?
at plasma pH a greater proportion of bupivacaine is ionized and so less is able to cross into the cell
why is a greater fraction of bupivacaine than lidocaine ionised in plasma?
plasma pH is further from bupivacaine pKa
in what type of tissue is LA less effective?
inflamed tissue
why is LA less effective in inflamed tissue?
pH is decreased so a greater proportion of LA is ionised and so less can penetrate the cell membrane to bind to the Na channel
what is the effect of inflammation on tissue pH?
decreases - more acidic
what is drug potency a measure of?
drug activity expressed in terms of the amount required to produce an effect of given intensity