IV Anesthesia Flashcards
What is special about induction agents?
they have a short onset of action
List the induction agents used in IV anesthetics.
Thiopental
Propofol
Etomidate
List the additional agents (with longer onset of actions) used in IV anesthetics.
- Ketamine
- Diazepam, Lorazepam, Midazolam
- Morphine, Meperidine, Fentanyl, Remifentanil
What are the 4 components of achieving balanced anesthesia?
- Relieve Anxiety
- Relax Muscles
- Induce unconsciousness
- Prevent secretions
How does balanced anesthesia contrast with “neurolept” analgesia?
Use of neurolept analgesia produces pain relief and provides a state of indifference (patient is responsive to command but is not compromised by situational anxiety)
What agents are used for neurolept analgesia?
Droperidol
Fentanyl
What does droperidol do to the patient?
state of indifference, anti-emetic, anti-convulsant
What does fentanyl do for the patient?
analgesia
What do you add to droperidol and fentanyl to get neurolept ANESTHESIA?
N2O
What other combination can you use for neurolept analgesia in preparation for surgery (dry secretions + provide analgesia)?
- Atropine
- Opiate (morphine or meperidine)
What problem does the high level of lipid solubility pose for lipophillic (IV) anesthetics?
difficult to formulate them for injection
What are two “tricks” for making lipophillic anesthetics more soluble for injection?
- Adjust pH
- Use surfactant like propylene glycol or glycerol
- Use 2nd generation pro-drugs that yield same pharmacologically active product only once they are inside the body
What problems may adding surfactant to a lipophillic anesthetic pose?
can sometimes give rise to a direct toxicity to the lining of the vein into which it is being administered; this can sometimes be avoided by diluting the drug and giving it more slowly
What is the main MOA for IV anesthetics?
reinforcing the inhibitory action of GABA and glycine
Which two IV anesthetics also have aneffect on the NMDA receptor for glutamate?
Ketamine (major inhibition)
Propofol (minor inhibition)
List the IV anesthetics that are major inhibitors of GABA.
Barbiturates
Propofol
Etomidate
List the IV anesthetics that are major inhibitors of glycine.
Propofol
MOA of barbiturates.
prolong the binding of GABA to the receptor (increases the strength of the inhibitory effects of endogenous GABA, so increase efficacy)
MOA of benzodiazepines.
Produce only an allosteric change in receptor activity, that is to say, they shift the dose response curve for GABA binding to the left, the increase potency but not efficacy.
True or false: barbiturates and benzodiazepines both have a “ceiling effect”
FALSE: With increasing dose barbiturates produce greater and greater CNS depression, ultimately leading to coma and death.
True or false: it is just as easy to overdose on barbiturates as it is on benzodiazepines.
FALSE: benzodiazepines are much safer and difficult to overdose with unless combined with drugs or alcohol (CNS depressants).
What is the benzodiazepine antagonist that can rapidly reverse acute toxicities if they occur?
flumazenil
What neurotransmitter is used in the consciousness pathway that activates the thalamus?
Ach
What part of the brain is activated by Histamine, Serotonin, and GABA in the consciousness pathway?
cortex
How do inhaled anesthetics compare to IV induction agents in terms of onset?
When compared with the onset of anesthesia with an inhaled anesthetic, the effects of an IV induction agent are almost instantaneous.
Where do IV anesthetics distribute to in the body?
Out of plasma into high flow organs then re-distributes to other organs (eventually adipose tissue if dosage is high enough)
What is happening when a patient awakens after IV anesthetia?
Awakening of the patient is due only to drug re-distribution, the timescale is far too short for metabolism or excretion to have had a meaningful impact upon drug load in the body.