General Anesthetics Flashcards
what does general anesthesia do?
renders patient unresponsive to painful stimuli through loss of consciousness
what are the five primary effects of general anesthetics?
unconsciousness
amnesia
analgesia
inhibition of autonomic reflexes
skeletal muscle relaxation
what do general anesthetics do to the cardiovascular and respiratory systems?
cardiovascular depression
some: cardiac dysrhythmias
depress respiration
why is balanced anesthesia used?
to achieve goal of safe, effective anesthesia and analgesia
what are the four stages anesthesia?
awake/analgesia
excitement
surgical anesthesia
overdose: medullary paralysis
what are the functional steps in anesthesia?
anesthetic induction
anesthetic maintenance
anesthetic recovery
what is the main effect of general anesthetics?
inhibit synaptic transmission
what are the main targets of anesthetics?
GABAa receptors
glutamate NMDA receptors
glycine receptors
K2P channels
where does general anesthesia act?
in the brain
what are the most sensitive regions to anesthesia?
thalamic sensory relay nuclei and the deep layer of the cortex to which these nuclei project
what are inhalant anesthetics?
volatile anesthetics: gas
what is the mechanism of action for inhalant anesthetics?
general disruption of neurotransmission
what do the main differences in agents of inhalant anesthetics relate to?
pharmacokinetics and adverse effects
what does it mean for something to be a volatile anesthetic?
liquid at room temperature
gas as pressure drops
what are some gas anesthetics?
isoflurane
sevoflurane
how do inhalant anesthetics work?
augment inhibitory activity (GABA receptors) and depress neurotransmission pathways (glutamate/NMDA and other pathways)
how is the potency of inhaled anesthetics defined quantitatively?
minimum alveolar concentration (MAC)
what is the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC)?
concentration of anesthetic gas needed to eliminate movement in 50% of patients with a standardized skin incision
what is the blood:gas partition coefficient?
how much gas dissolves in blood
what is the tissue:gas partition coefficient?
how much gas dissolves in tissues
the _____________ of an individual gas is proportional to its concentration
tension
what determines the flow of an anesthetic gas?
difference in tension between two sites, or the pressure gradient
where are gas anesthetics absorbed and eliminated?
lungs are only quantitatively important route
true/false: anesthetics cross blood-brain barrier quickly, so brain tension follows blood tension
true
what determines distribution of an anesthetic?
blood flow to tissue
capacity of tissue to absorb anesthetic
what is the main factor in determining rate of induction and recovery?
blood:gas partition coefficient
does a lower blood:gas partition coefficient take longer or shorter to induce a response?
shorter
drops alveolar gas concentration if higher
agents with _____ blood and tissue solubility have more rapid elimination
low