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General anaesthetics can be administered either as gases or vapours (inhalational anaesthetics), or as injections (intravenous or even intramuscular).All of these agents share the property of being quite hydrophobic (i.e., as liquids, they are not freely miscible—or mixable—in water, and as gases they dissolve in oils better than in water).
Agent concentration measurement: anaesthetic machines typically have monitors to measure the percentage of inhalational anaesthetic agents used as well as exhalation concentrations. These monitors include measuring oxygen , carbon dioxide , and inhalational anaesthetics (e.g., nitrous oxide , isoflurane ).
Halothane, an agent introduced in the 1950s, has been almost completely replaced in modern anesthesia practice by newer agents because of its shortcomings. [10] Partly because of its side effects, enflurane never gained widespread popularity. [10] In theory, any inhaled anesthetic agent can be used for induction of general anesthesia.
These agents are colour-coded for safety purposes. Note the special fitting for desflurane, which boils at room temperature. An inhalational anesthetic is a chemical compound possessing general anesthetic properties that is delivered via inhalation.
The purpose of anesthesia can be distilled down to three basic goals or endpoints: [2]: 236 hypnosis (a temporary loss of consciousness and with it a loss of memory.In a pharmacological context, the word hypnosis usually has this technical meaning, in contrast to its more familiar lay or psychological meaning of an altered state of consciousness not necessarily caused by drugs—see hypnosis).
A general anaesthetic (or anesthetic) is a drug that brings about a reversible loss of consciousness. [2] These drugs are generally administered by an anaesthetist/ anesthesiologist to induce or maintain general anaesthesia to facilitate surgery .
The first historical achievement in anesthesia occurred around 4000 BC in ancient Mesopotamia. [5] [10] [33] [34] [35] This was the advent of Ethanol (commonly known as ‘drinking alcohol’), the first general anaesthetic agent.
TIVA is used to induce general anesthesia while avoiding the disadvantages of volatile anesthesia (and traditional inhalation agents). [9] Intravenous anesthetic agents are titrated at safe doses to maintain stage III surgical anesthesia (unconsciousness, amnesia, immobility, and absence of response to noxious stimulation). [10]