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Related Concept Videos

General Anesthesia: Overview01:24

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...
Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview01:24

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.
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

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: Overview01:20

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: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia01:29

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

Epidural anesthetics are administered in the fat-filled epidural space, the outermost part of the spinal canal. This technique is commonly employed for pain management and anesthesia during lower abdomen and pelvis surgeries or labor and delivery.
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Spinal Anesthesia01:11

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: Jun 20, 2026

Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain
08:23

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

Published on: May 12, 2018

Is anesthesia bad for the newborn brain?

Mary Ellen McCann1, Sulpicio G Soriano

  • 1Department of Anesthesia (Pediatrics), Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. mary.mccann@childrens.harvard.edu

Anesthesiology Clinics
|August 26, 2009
PubMed
Summary

General anesthetics may harm young brains but also protect them from injury. Pediatric anesthesia experts face the challenge of studying general anesthesia safety in infants.

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Neuroscience
  • Pediatric Medicine

Background:

  • Emerging data suggest general anesthetics may pose neurotoxic risks to immature animal brains.
  • Conversely, evidence indicates these anesthetics might offer neuroprotection against hypoxic-ischemic injury.
  • Inadequate pain management in pediatric patients is linked to neuronal damage and long-term behavioral issues.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review current preclinical and clinical data on the safety of general anesthetics in infants.
  • To address the challenge of designing human infant studies for pediatric anesthesia.
  • To inform the pediatric anesthesia community on the neurotoxicity and neuroprotection of anesthetics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing preclinical (animal) studies on anesthetic neurotoxicity and neuroprotection.

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Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
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Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

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Adaptation of Microelectrode Array Technology for the Study of Anesthesia-induced Neurotoxicity in the Intact Piglet Brain
08:23

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

Published on: May 12, 2018

Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury
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Assessing Changes in Synaptic Plasticity Using an Awake Closed-Head Injury Model of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury

Published on: January 20, 2023

  • Analysis of available clinical data pertaining to general anesthesia in human infants.
  • Synthesis of findings to evaluate the safety profile of common anesthetics in pediatric populations.

    • Main Results:

    • Conflicting data exist regarding anesthetic neurotoxicity versus neuroprotection in immature subjects.
    • Painful procedures and inadequate analgesia correlate with adverse neurological outcomes in animal models.
    • Long-term behavioral changes in humans are a concern associated with inadequate pain management.

    Conclusions:

    • The safety of general anesthesia in human infants remains an open question requiring further investigation.
    • Designing and conducting rigorous studies in pediatric populations is crucial for the anesthesia community.
    • Balancing the risks of anesthetic exposure with the necessity of pain management is paramount in pediatric care.