Complications of Anaesthesia Flashcards
how to avoid risk
assessment, planning and be prepared
minor complications
- sore throat
- teeth damage
- cornea damage
- muscle pain = sux
- nausea and vomiting
risk factors for PONV
Pt: young, female, hx
Anaes: opioids, etomidate, NO2
Surgery: strabismus, lap, ear, gynae
Post-op: pain, opiates, hypotension, forced early feeding
Prophylaxis for PONV
Ondansetron
Droperidol
Dexamethasone
Hydration
when can nerve damage occur?
Regional and neuraxial anaesthesia use
* poor positioning
* hypo perfusion of spinal chord
early complications of CVL?
- pneumothorax
- haemothorax
- nerve damage
- arrhythmia
- air embolism
late complications of CVL?
- sepsis
- endocarditis
- thrombosis
- tamponade
why should temperature be monitored in anaesthesia?
core temp often drops temp
- risk for hypothermia = less than 35
- fluids and gases cause this
- vasodilation contributes due to evaporation
*** kids at risk
how to prevent hypothermia in theatre?
> warm the theatre
forced air warmer = passive
warm IV fluids, blood and gases
active warming
*NB in C-section
pathophysiology of hypothermia
Proteins are sensitive - becomes sluggish and don’t work
- Platelet dysfunction and bleeding risk
- Arrhythmias
- Delayed metabolism of drugs
- Delayed emergence from anaesthesia ** check temp
- Post-op shivering
= Increased oxygen consumption
why death from anaesthesia in rural hospitals?
hypoxia and untrained staff
1 in 280
what is important to monitor in ventilated patients?
airway pressures
what might cause a rising airway pressure?
- ETT ob or kink
- circuit block
- bronchospasm
- mucus plugs
- pneumothorax
why might airway pressures fall?
- dislodged ETT
- connection points
- vaporisers or sodalime
= circuit leaks seen by bellows collapse
Blue drug label
opioids
Yellow drug label
induction agents
red drug label
muscle relaxants
orange drug label
sedatives
purple drug label
vasopressors
green drug label
anticholinergics
red/white cross hatch
reversal agents for muscle relax = neostigmine
blue white cross hatch
naloxone
purple cross hatch
hypotensives
