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Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview

Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.

General Anesthesia: Overview

General Anesthesia: Overview

Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...

Stages of General Anesthesia

Stages of General Anesthesia

Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...

Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects

Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects

While local anesthetics are generally safe and well-tolerated, they can occasionally cause adverse effects that vary in severity. Local anesthetics can induce toxicity at two distinct levels. They can either produce local effects through direct contact with the neural elements or be absorbed into the bloodstream from the injection site, leading to systemic effects.
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia

Spinal anesthetics are given during lower abdomen and limb surgeries to block sensory and motor neurons. They are administered in the mid to low lumbar regions, primarily acting on the cauda equina's nerve roots. The blockade level depends on the local anesthetic (LA) concentration. Usually, low LA concentrations are sufficient to block sensory fibers, while only high LA concentrations block motor fibers. Other factors like injection volume and speed, the patient's posture, and the drug...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 20, 2026

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain

Published on: May 12, 2018

Brain protection by anesthetic agents.

Ines P Koerner¹, Ansgar M Brambrink

¹Department of Anesthesiology and Peri-Operative Medicine, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon 97239, USA.

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology

|September 9, 2006

Summary

Anesthetic agents show potential for neuroprotection in experimental studies, particularly isoflurane and xenon. However, clinical evidence is lacking, and further research is needed to confirm their effectiveness and mechanisms for preventing perioperative stroke.

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Area of Science:

Anesthesiology
Neuroscience
Pharmacology

Background:

Patients undergoing surgery with risks of stroke or recent cerebral injury may benefit from anesthetic agents.
Anesthetic agents possess potential neuroprotective properties relevant to surgical patients.

Purpose of the Study:

To review clinical and experimental evidence of neuroprotective effects of anesthetic agents.
To explore the mechanisms underlying anesthetic-induced neuroprotection.

Main Methods:

Review of recent clinical and experimental studies on anesthetic neuroprotection.
Analysis of proposed mechanisms of action for neuroprotection by anesthetics.

Main Results:

Strong experimental data suggest neuroprotection by isoflurane and xenon, but long-term clinical protection is not proven.
Lack of clinical studies comparing anesthetic agents for neuroprotection.
Mechanisms involve suppressing excitatory neurotransmission, enhancing inhibitory activity, and activating protective gene expression.

Conclusions:

Experimental evidence supports neuroprotection by anesthetic agents.
Clinical recommendations for specific agents are premature due to insufficient clinical data.
Further research is required to elucidate mechanisms and clinical relevance.