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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...

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.

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...

Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics

Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics

The potency and duration of action of local anesthetics (LAs) are determined by their pharmacokinetics. Pharmacokinetics describes how LAs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body. When administered to the vascular tissues, LAs are quickly absorbed and enter the systemic circulation, reducing their localized effects. Adding vasoconstrictors such as epinephrine to LAs reduces their absorption into the systemic circulation, making them clinically effective. The...

Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia

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 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: May 25, 2026

Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Published on: May 26, 2023

Can anaesthetic technique effect postoperative outcome?

Trevor Kavanagh¹, Donal J Buggy

¹Department of Anaesthesia, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland.

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology

|January 25, 2012

Summary

Anesthesia management significantly impacts long-term patient outcomes, contrary to previous beliefs. Key factors like oxygenation, temperature, and blood glucose control improve surgical recovery and reduce complications.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 25, 2026

Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Non-Intubated Video-Assisted Thoracoscopic Surgery

Published on: May 26, 2023

Area of Science:

Anesthesiology
Surgical Outcomes Research
Patient Recovery

Background:

Traditionally, anesthesia's long-term impact on patient outcomes was considered minimal compared to surgical techniques.
Emerging evidence suggests anesthesia management plays a crucial role in long-term postoperative results.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current topical aspects of anesthesia management that may influence long-term postoperative outcomes.
To challenge conventional wisdom regarding the limited long-term effects of anesthesia.

Main Methods:

Literature review of topical aspects of anesthetic management.
Analysis of evidence linking anesthetic techniques to postoperative outcomes.

Main Results:

Supplemental oxygen, avoiding hypothermia, allogeneic blood transfusion, and glycemic control reduce postoperative infection.
Regional anesthesia may decrease chronic pain; avoiding nitrous oxide may lower myocardial infarction risk.
Evidence on anesthesia and cancer recurrence is inconclusive; perioperative beta-blockade shows no clear benefit for noncardiac surgery.

Conclusions:

Further large-scale trials are needed to clarify anesthesia's role in cancer recurrence, neurotoxicity, and cognitive dysfunction.
Long-term follow-up studies are essential to fully understand anesthesia's impact on patient outcomes.