Month: October 2010

Intravenous medicines for anesthesia Intravenous (IV) anesthetic medicines are given into a vein. They can be given quickly and are rapidly absorbed into the blood. IV anesthetics are used to relieve pain (analgesia), to relax (sedate), to induce sleepiness (hypnosis) or forgetfulness (amnesia), or to make you unconscious for general anesthesia. Most IV anesthetics cannot ... Read More

Epidural and spinal anesthesia Epidural and spinal blocks are types of anesthesia in which a local anesthetic is injected near the spinal cord and nerve roots to block sensations of pain from an entire region of the body, such as the abdomen, the hips, the legs, or the pelvis during childbirth. Epidural and spinal anesthesia ... Read More

Local anesthesia Local anesthesia uses medicine to block sensations of pain from a specific area of the body. Local anesthetics are usually given by injection into the body area that needs to be anesthetized. They are not injected into the bloodstream (intravenous, IV). Local anesthetics may be given with other medicines that make you relaxed ... Read More

Emergence The final phase of anesthesia is called emergence. When your procedure is completed, the anesthesia specialist will stop giving the anesthetic. As your body clears the anesthetic medicines from your system, the effects begin to wear off, and your body functions begin to return. How quickly you emerge from anesthesia depends on the anesthetics ... Read More

You likely will be given anesthesia by an anesthesia specialist. Final preparations before your surgery may include: Attaching instruments to check your breathing, oxygen level, heart rate, blood pressure, and other body functions. Positioning your body for surgery. You will be placed in a position that allows your surgeon access to the appropriate body area ... Read More

A wide variety of medicines are used to provide anesthesia. Their effects can be complex. And they can interact with other medicines to cause different effects than when they are used alone. Anyone receiving anesthesia-even procedural sedation-must be monitored continuously to protect and maintain vital body functions. The complex task of managing the delivery of ... Read More