General anesthesia - what is it? Types of anesthesia. Drugs for anesthesia

General anesthesia, popularly referred to as "general anesthesia," performs a very important medical function - anesthesia during surgery. It is through anesthesia that a patient without pain transfers an operation that prolongs his life.

General anesthesia. What is it, and what is the purpose of its use

At its core, anesthesia is a very deep sleep, which is artificially induced by a special drug. With its properties, such a dream is very similar to the biological one.

Of several types of anesthesia, general anesthesia is one of the most difficult. Compared with other types of anesthesia, general anesthesia has one major difference: when it is used, not only the organs are anesthetized, but the patient's consciousness is turned off.

With the use of general anesthesia, analgesia, amnesia and relaxation are provided. During general anesthesia, the patient relaxes all the muscles of the body, in addition, he does not feel pain and does not remember the operation process.

In this case, all sensitivities, such as pain, temperature and many others, are disconnected.

That is, the main task of general anesthesia is the introduction of a person in a state in which he can not move, feel surgical intervention of the surgeon and receive any emotions from the operation.

Types of anesthesia

General anesthesia is divided into 3 types, depending on the route of administration of anesthetics (anesthetics). Anesthetics can be injected into the patient's body by inhalation (with the help of a facial mask), intravenously (using a catheter), and a combined route.

If a short-term (up to 30 minutes) operation is performed, there is no risk that the gastric contents will enter the lungs (aspiration), while the patient retains normal breathing, an additional device that provides airway patency is not needed. In this case, you can use such types of anesthesia, as mask or intravenous.

In the event that during anesthesia a patient experiences breathing problems or a risk of aspiration, an anesthesiologist uses a special device that provides airway patency and protects the lungs from aspiration. In this situation, general anesthesia has a name - intubation. Under such circumstances, antiseptics can be injected into the patient's body as inhaled, intravenously, or in combination.

How do general anesthesia

Regardless of the chosen route of administration, the anesthetist conducts the same procedure. He or his assistant punctures a peripheral vein, such as a forearm or hand, and inserts a special plastic catheter (such as a "butterfly" or "vasophix") into it. Then the doctor attaches a special clip to the finger of the hand, which monitors the patient's breathing. After that, the anesthesiologist puts on his shoulder a special cuff, which measures blood pressure, and fastens to the chest special electrodes, due to which he follows the patient's heartbeat. After connecting all that is needed, you can start to enter general anesthesia.

What it is? Why do we need this cardio-respiratory monitoring? Namely, in order to continuously monitor the work of the respiratory and cardiovascular system, constantly monitoring the patient's condition.

Only after a full monitoring of the heart and respiration parameters is open, a catheter is inserted, which allows access to the drug, and the drugs are typed into syringes, the anesthetist begins to anesthetize the body with a specific type of anesthesia.

How many depart from the general anesthesia

It is not so easy to say for how long the patient will be able to withdraw anesthesia. Everything depends on certain points, for example, the type and duration of the operation, the type and dosage of anesthesia, and various other indicators.

The awakening from general anesthesia sometimes takes several minutes, and sometimes several hours. Basically, after the operation is completed, the doctor awakens the patient still in the operating room, but the patient comes to consciousness only after a while.

Medicines for general anesthesia

Choose drugs for anesthesia, depending on how the anesthetic will enter the body. If an inhalation method is used and the patient inhales vapors or gases through an intubation tube or a special mask, preparations such as diethyl ether , diazotide oxide, isoflurane, enflurane or fluorotane may be used.

Non-invasive methods can be intravenous, intramuscular, intramuscular or oral. For pediatric anesthesia, the most recent 3 methods are used.

Non-inhaling anesthetics may include preparations such as Propofol, Altezin, Propanidide, Ketamine, Viadryl, sodium oxybutyrate, and various barbiturators, for example sodium thiopental or Hexenal.

What medication will be administered to a particular patient can be clarified by an anesthetist who will choose a drug, making general anesthesia. "What is it, how much time will be spent on rehabilitation, and what side effects of the drug" - all these questions you can, without hesitation, ask the doctor who is obliged to answer them.

Adverse effects of general anesthesia

Of course, general anesthesia does not pass without a trace, it leaves behind both side effects and some kind of complications. General anesthesia during surgery presages after its use such symptoms as:

- headache and dizziness;

- nausea and vomiting;

- retardation of thinking;

Confusion of consciousness;

- hallucinations;

- sleep disturbance;

- Muscle pain;

- numbness of limbs;

- chills;

- itching;

- speech impairment;

- Hearing impairment;

- a sore throat.

Such symptoms persist for as long as a person goes away from anesthesia, less often unpleasant consequences can be felt for two days.

Some consequences of anesthesia

Also, after anesthesia, some complications or allergic reactions may appear . From the side of the cardiovascular system, cardiac arrest may occur. From the respiratory system - a pulmonary infection or respiratory depression. From the side of the nervous system - in some areas a violation of sensitivity.

The main thing, at occurrence of any not clear signs in time to address to the attending physician. This will help to avoid serious postoperative consequences and to recover faster.

Often patients are afraid of only the term "general anesthesia". What it is - you have already learned, anesthesia is not something terrible, it is just an auxiliary action during the operation, and with its correct use the harm from anesthesia is minimal, it can be confirmed by any anesthesiologist.