Intro to anaesthesia

Question 1

What is general anaaesthesia?

Answer 1

Controlled depression of the CNS to produce a lack of awareness of painful inputs. Minimal depression of hind brain functions.

Question 2

What are the different types of local anesthesia methods?

Answer 2

• Topical
• Infiltrative
• Conductive (nerve blocks)
• Epidural (SC but not CSF)
• Subarachnoid (Into CSF)

Question 3

Why do we do anaesthesia?

Answer 3

• Restraint (immobilisation
• Unconsciousness (pain free)
• Relaxation (surgical access)

Question 4

What is the triad of anaesthesia?

Answer 4

Hypnosis
Analgesia
Muscle relaxation

(want all 3 to be balanced)

Question 5

What is the definition of hypnosis?

Answer 5

Artificially induced sleep

Question 6

What is an example of a centrally acting muscle relaxant?

Answer 6

Diazepam

Question 7

What are the stages of anaesthesia?

Answer 7

Conscious
Anaesthetised
Dead
(its all or nothing)

Question 8

When looking at eye position how do you tell between too light and too deep?

Answer 8

If so relaxed the eye has rolled back up its hard.
Need to look at other senses too e.g. jaw tone, HR, pedal reflex, if pupil is fixed and dilated this is a warning sign the animal is too deep!

Question 9

What signs are related to brain stem depression?

Answer 9

• Respiratory rate
• Heart rate
• Blood pressure

Question 10

Describe the ASA anaesthesia risk table

Answer 10

• ASA 1: normal healthy patient, elective surgery
• ASA 2: pre existing disease, no clinical signs, fracture no shock
• ASA 3: Pres existing, mild clinical signs, fever, dehydration, mild anaemia
• ASA 4: pres existing, severe clinical signs, uraemia, toxaemia
• ASA 5: moribund patient, not likely to survive without treatment

Question 11

How can you support a patient under anaesthesia?

Answer 11

Oxygen
Warmth
Fluids

Question 12

When do most cats die regarding surgery?

Answer 12

During recovery

Question 13

What is the difference between tranquilisation and sedation?

Answer 13

Tranquilisation: relief of anxiety
Sedation: central depression, drowsiness

Question 14

What is dissociative anaesthesia?

Answer 14

Induced by drugs e.g. ketamine, dissociate thalamo-cortical and limbic systems
(i.e stops communication between cerbral cortex and hindbrain)
Animals look different- have active reflexes, can flick ears, swallow BUT are totally anaesthetised

Question 15

What other effects do you have to consider when anaesthestising an animal?

Answer 15

• Will induce a stress response

- Thermoregulation is affected

Question 16

What must you check after intubation?

Answer 16

ABC