Introduction to Anesthesia Flashcards
Define anesthesia
A loss of feeling or sensation.
Define general anesthesia
Surgical anesthesia; unconsciousness with analgesia
Define analgesia
Free of pain; relief from pain
Define hypnosis
A state of artificially induced sleep or trance
What anesthetic plane do we want to maintain for surgery?
Moderate surgical anesthesia
What are four uses for anesthesia?
- Restraint
- Procedures
- Surgery
- Euthanasia
What are the characteristics of the “perfect” anesthetic agent?
- would not cause side effects
- rapid induction & recovery
- won’t irritate tissues
- inexpensive
- stable, nonflammable, nonexplosive
- requires no special equipment
What are the four classifications for anesthetic agents?
- Route of administration
- Time point at which they are administered
- Principle effect
- Chemistry
How are anesthetic agents eliminated from the body?
- exhaled
- urine/feces
- diffusion through mucous membrane
- reversal agent
Which is safer: inhalant or injectable anesthetic agents?
Inhalant
What percentage of anesthetic agents are eliminated through urine/feces?
75%
Who determines which anesthetic agent is used?
The veterinarian
What are four different anesthetic techniques?
- Sedation/Tranquilization
- Topical/Local
- Regional (ex. Epidural)
- General (ex. surgery)
What does the acronym DEA stand for?
Drug Enforcement Administration
What is the ranking for controlled substances, from most likely to be abused to least?
I, II, III, IV, V
Which schedule is not used in normal veterinary practice?
Schedule I
What are four considerations when dealing with controlled substances?
- Record Keeping
- Ordering
- Storage
- Prescribing
What anesthetic procedure is considered “safe”?
There are no safe anesthetic procedures.
What are the components of balanced anesthesia?
- Pre-Anesthesia
- Induction
- Maintenance
- Recovery
Define balanced anesthesia
Giving a combination of drugs to maximize their therapeutic benefits while minimizing their adverse effects
What must be collected/performed prior to any anesthetic procedure?
- Consent to treat forms
- Procedure forms
- Complete physical exam
- Minimum database
- Withhold food & water
- IV catheter placement
- Pre-anesthetic drugs
- Staff preparation
At what point is a patient considered geriatric?
75% of their life expectancy
How does the organ function of a geriatric patient compare to younger patients?
Organ function is reduced
What are some considerations for geriatric patients?
- less able to maintain hydration status
- decrease the amount of anesthetic agents
- response time slower
- recovery period prolonged
- reduced ability to regulate temperature
At what point are patients still considered pediatric?
3 months and under
What issue are pediatric patients prone to due to fasting?
Hypoglycemia
What are some considerations for pediatric patients?
- reduce the amount of anesthetic agent
- endotracheal tube placement
- hypothermia
What are some considerations for brachycephalic patients?
- Elongated soft palate, small diameter trachea
- High parasympathetic tone = bradycardia
- Preoxygenate
- leave entubated as long as possible
What are some considerations for obese patients?
- require less anesthetic agent than calculated
-typically have some respiratory difficulty
What are the two parts of anesthetic maintenance?
- Monitoring
- Maintaining appropriate anesthetic depth
