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Medication Used in Anesthetics

Patients undergo anesthesia prior to receiving a medical procedure to lessen the trauma involved with surgery. Anesthetics are composed of a combination of medications designed to ensure a pain-free surgical experience.

  1. Features

    • Prior to surgery, an anesthesiologist administers a combination of medications to a patient to block the perception of pain and induce deep relaxation, hypnosis and amnesia. During general anesthesia, which induces a deep sleep for the duration of the procedure, medication may also be necessary to maintain a normal heartbeat and blood pressure levels.

    History

    • Opium was used as an early anesthetic as far back as 1500 B.C. Opium was either ingested or burned and inhaled to produce its pain-diminishing effects. Medieval doctors used mandrake root and henbane as anesthetics. Chinese medical practitioners have used acupuncture to relieve pain for at least the past two thousand years. Surgeons in the 18th and 19th century used ether, nitrous oxide and chloroform to render patients unconscious and block pain during medical procedures.

    Types

    • For prolonged surgical procedures or ones requiring patients to remain in an uncomfortable position, surgeons use general anesthesia to induce a deep, memory-free sleep. The drugs used in general anesthesia are administered intravenously or via inhaled gasses and include nitrous oxide, halothane, ketamine, and propofol. For minor surgery, only local anesthesia, in which pain is blocked at the site of the surgery, or regional anesthesia, in which pain is blocked in a section of the body by injecting the medication into a single nerve, may be necessary. Local anesthetics are delivered through injection or through creams, ointments or sprays rubbed onto the surgical site. Common local anesthetics include procaine, lidocaine and benzocaine.

    Considerations

    • Most people experience some medication-related side effects from anesthesia, including confusion, sleepiness, dry mouth, sore throat, pain, nausea, vomiting and blood pressure changes. These side effects are generally mild and harmless.

    Warning

    • While severe complications are rare, some individuals experience allergic reactions to the medications used in anesthetics. Strokes and heart attacks have resulted from anesthetic usage. Existing medical conditions and allergies can increase the risk of experiencing an adverse reaction. In rare cases, anesthetized patients regain consciousness prematurely in the middle of surgery, which can result in severe psychological trauma.

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