Unit 4 Pharmacology: Volatile Anesthetics 2: Pharmacodynamics Flashcards
N2O is ____ times more soluble than nitrogen. What does this mean?
34 x
For every 1 molecule of nitrogen that leaves a closed space, 34 molecules of N2O enter to take it’s place.
What is the nitrogen blood:gas partition coefficient?
What is the N2O blood:gas partition coefficient?
Nitrogen: 0.014
N2O: 0.46
How does N2O affect a compliant airspace? Fixed airspace?
Compliant: increase volume
Fixed: increase pressure
What are the compliant airspaces in the body that N2O can affect? At what rate are these affected?
Pulmonary blebs - fast equilibration between space and blood
Air bubbles in the blood - fast
Sulfa hexafluoride bubble in the eye - fast
Bowel - slow
Pneumoperitoneum - slow
What are the fixed airspaces that can be affected by N2O? At what speed?
Middle ear - fast equilabration between space and blood
Brain during intracranial procedures - fast
Discontinuation of N2O can do what to the ear?
Decrease middle ear pressure and result in serous otitis
When must N2O be discontinued if placing an SF6ocular gas bubble? How long should it be avoided?
D/C: 15 minutes before the SF6 bubble is placed
Avoid N2O for 7 - 10 days after the bubble is placed
There are 3 alternatives to SF6 for an intraocular bubble, what are they and how long should N2O be avoided?
Air: 5 days
Perfluoropropane: 30 days
Silicone oil: no contraindication to N2O
Is N2O flammable?
No, but it does suppose combustion
How does N2O affect the volume and pressure in anesthetic equipment?
It can increase the volume and pressure in:
ETT cuff
LMA cuff
Balloon-tipped pulmonary artery catheter
What is the deal with N2O and B12?
N2O irreversibly inhibits B12, which inhibits methionine synthase (enzyme required for folate metabolism and myelin production).
What are 7 potential side effects of N2O inhibiting B12?
- Megaloblasic anemia
- Neuropathy
- Immunocompromise
- Impaired DNA synthesis
- Concern of teratogenicity - clinical data lacking
- Possible risk of spontaneous abortion - many avoid in first 2 trimesters
- Homocysteine accumulation
What increases the risk of complications of N2O and B12 inhibition? Examples
Prolonged exposure: recreation use
Pre-existing B12 deficiency: pernicious anemia, alcoholism, strict vegan diet
Order the volatile agents from lowest to highest potency (4)
N2O
DES
SEVO
ISO
How is the potency of inhalation anesthetic measured?
MAC: this is the concentration of agent that prevents the nociceptive withdrawal reflex following a supramaximal painful stimulus is 50% of the population
What is the MAC for a 40 yr old in all 4 agents?
ISO: 1.2
SEVO: 2.0
DES: 6.6
N2O: 104
What is the essential triad of anesthetic actions?
What else may VAs do?
- Amnesia
- Loss of consciousness
- Immobility
VAs may also modulate autonomic function and provide some analgesia
What suggests that anesthetics exert their effects in different regions of the CNS?
The effects are dose dependent, Supra spinal effects (amnesia and LOC) occur at lower levels, while immobility requires a higher concentration
If you add 2 gases together (ie ISO and N2O) what happens to MAC?
MAC is additive
0.5 Mac ISO + 0.5 Mac N2O = 1 MAC
Define Mac awake. What is its value?
MAC-awake is the alveolar concentration at which a patient opens their eyes
~ 0.4 - 0.5 MAC during induction but as low as 0.15 MAC during recovery
Define MAC-bar? What is its value?
MAC-Bar is the alveolar concentration required to block the autonomic response following a supramaximal painful stimulus
~1.5 MAC
At what MAC can movement be prevented in 95% of the population?
1.3 MAC
Awareness and recall is generally assumed to be prevented at what MAC?
0.4 - 0.5 MAC
List 6 drugs that increase MAC
Chronic alcohol consumption (Increased CNS neurotranmitters:) Acute amphetamine intoxication Acute cocaine intoxication MAOIs Ephedrine Levodopa
List 8 drugs/classes that decrease MAC
Acute alcohol intoxication IV anesthetics N2O Opioids - IV and neuraxial Alpha-2 agonists Lithium Lidocaine Hydroxyzine
How does the electrolyte Na affect MAC?
Hypernatremia: increases MAC
Hyponatremia: decreases MAC
How does the electrolyte K affect MAC?
Hyper- and hypokalemia have no effect on MAC
How does the electrolyte Mg affect MAC?
Hyper- and hypomagnesemia have no affect on MAC
How does age affect MAC?
MAC is increased in infants from 1 - 6 months of age.
Prematurity decreases MAC.
Older age decreases MAC 6% per decade after the age of 40.
How does body temperature affect MAC?
Hyperthermia: increase MAC
Hypothermia: decreases MAC
How does red hair affect MAC? By what %?
Increases MAC by 19%
How does BP affect MAC?
Hypotension (MAP < 50 mmHg) decreases MAC
Hypertension has no affect on MAC
How does gender affect MAC?
No affect
How does thyroid disease affect MAC?
No direct effect
How does PaCO2 affect MAC?
PaCO2 > 95 mmHg decreases MAC
PaCO2 15 - 95 mmHg has no effect
How does hypoxia affect MAC?
Decreases MAC
How does anemia affect MAC?
Decreases MAC
<4.3 mL O2/dL blood
How does CPB affect MAC?
Decreases MAC
How does metabolic acidosis affect MAC?
Decreases MAC
How does Hypo-osmolarity affect MAC?
Decreases MAC
How does pregnancy affect MAC?
Pregnancy through 24-72 hours postpartum decreases MAC
They Meyer-Overton rule states:
Lipid solubility is directly proportional to the potency of an inhalation anesthetic
What is the Unitary hypothesis?
States that all anesthetics share a similar mechanism of action, but each may work at a different site
General anesthesia is produced by ________ in the _____ & ________.
Membrane bound protein interactions
Brain
Spinal cord
As a general rule the volatile anesthetics have what 2 effects on their target receptors?
- They stimulate inhibitory receptors
2. They inhibit stimulators receptors
What 3 inhibitory pathways are stimulated by VAs?
GABA-A receptors
Glycine channels
Potassium channels
What 4 stimulators pathways are inhibited by VAs?
NMDA receptors
Nicotinic receptors
Sodium channels
Dendritic spine function and motility
In the brain what is the most important site of volatile anesthetic action?
GABA-A receptor
The GABA-A receptor is what type of receptor?
Ligand gated chloride channel
Stimulation of the GABA-A receptor does what?
Increases chloride influx and hyperpolarizes neurons impairing their ability to fire.
They likely increase the duration the chloride channel remains open.
In the spinal cord where do VAs produce immobility?
In the ventral horn
What are the most important sites of VA action in the spinal cord (3)?
Glycine receptor stimulation
NMDA receptor inhibition
Na+ channel inhibition
Where is the site of action for gaseous anesthetics (N2O and Xenon)? (2)
NMDA antagonism
Potassium 2P-channel stimulation
They do not stimulate GABA-A receptor
What is the essential triad of general anesthesia?
Unconsciousness
Amnesia
Immobility
VAs causes unconsciousness in what 3 sites of action?
Cerebral cortex
Thalamus
Reticular Activating system