EXAM #3: GENERAL ANESTHESIA Flashcards
What are the advantages of general anesthesia?
Body wide anesthesia
What are the disadvantages of general anesthesia?
Disturbance of all organ systems
What are the advantages of local anesthesia?
Minimal system disturbance
What is the disadvantage of local anesthesia?
Anesthesia may not be adequate
What are the six characteristics of an ideal anesthetic agent?
1) Unconsciousness
2) Amnesia
3) Analgesia
4) Skeletal muscle relaxation
5) Areflexia
6) Good minute-to-minute control
What is the “Triad of Anesthesia?’
1) Asleep
2) Pain-free
3) Still
What is the pharmacologic synonym of unconsciousness?
Hypnosis
What are the four major things that you want to know about a patient as an anesthesiologist?
Patient history and/or blood relative history of:
1) Malignant hyperthermia
2) Cardiovascular disease
3) Respirator disease
4) Allergies
What is “balanced anesthesia?”
Use of a combination of drugs to produce all the effects of ideal anesthesia
No anesthetic is ideal
What are the PHASES of anesthesia?
1) Induction
2) Maintenance
3) Emergence
4) Recovery
What are the STAGES of anesthesia?
1) Analgesia
2) Excitement
- Body is “fighting” the anesthetic drug and patient can become combative
3) Surgical anesthesia
4) Medullary depression
What is the main purpose for inhalable anesthetics?
Maintenance of anesthesia
What is the main purpose of IV anesthetics?
Induction of anesthesia
What are the three general mechanisms of action of the general anesthetic agents?
1) Increased GABA-A channel activity
2) Activation of K+ channels
3) Inhibit glutamate NMDA receptors
What are the advantages of gaseous general anesthesia?
1) Easy to control depth of anesthesia
2) Minute-to-minute control
What is the disadvantage of gaseous anesthesia?
Anesthesia induction is not as fast or smooth as IV
Which “direction” do gas molecules move?
Down their partial pressure gradient
What factor results in a faster achievement of anesthetic concentration in the blood?
Higher initial concentration in air
–>leads to higher partial pressure in the lungs–>bloodd
What is the effect of alveolar ventilation on anesthesia onset?
Higher alveolar ventilation leads to more gas molecules/time and a faster rate of onset
What is the Otswald Coefficient?
Blood: gas partition coefficient i.e. the solubility of the anesthetic in the blood
What does a low Otswald Coefficient mean?
Low solubility
Otswald Coefficient is preferable for a fast rate of anesthesia onset, high or low? Why?
Low solubility i.e. low Otwald Coefficient, which translates to a faster buildup of the agent in the blood
What does the blood: brain partition coefficient translate into?
Solubility of the agent in lipid
What does a high lipid solubility of an anesthetic agent translate into?
More potent
What does a high pulmonary blood flow translate into in general anesthesia?
Slower onset