Week 2: Anes-the-sure thing for painless procedures
Hi! Hope you guys are doing well!
Last week I began talking about how obesity effects the anesthetic process due to them not being able to tolerate intravenous (injected) barbiturates and they have a difficult time breathing on their own, it is more complicated to access which type of anesthesia to use and varies case to case. It may seem like common knowledge, but a lot of people with pre-existing disease take medication which could make it more difficult for a safe administration of the anesthetic. So, the patient who is undergoing the surgery has to take responsibility for not taking the medication (if told to stop) before the surgery or they could be at risk for post-operation complications.
One of the pre-existing conditions that complicates the anesthetic process, that I have researched so far, is cardiovascular disease. The effects of general anesthetic agents on patients with cardiovascular disease have a higher risk which is dependent on how it is administered as well as the amount in relation to concentration and rapidity of administration. An additional, common pre-existing condition that affects anesthetics is allergies, particularly eggs and soy products. So, it is important that those who are going into surgery to tell their anesthesia care team what they are allergic to so the anesthesia doesn’t cause any cross-reactions.
Another common health condition that severely affects the majority of people in the U.S. is smoking. Cigarette smoking is the single-most important risk factor for the development of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and death caused by lung disease. Regional anesthesia is the preferred method, which is anesthesia administered at the specific part that is undergoing surgery. This route of regional anesthesia over general anesthesia decreases the risk of many post-operative conditions like the development of COPD.
Delirium is a non-specific syndrome characterized by concurrent disturbances of consciousness and attention, perception, thinking, and memory. It is seen commonly in more elderly patients which 10-14% of elderly patients have post-operative cognitive impairment after their surgery. Over the last few decades, post operative delirium has been associated with several pre-operative predator factors such as age, alcohol abuse, poor cognitive and functional status, and type of surgery. Clearly anesthesiologists want to eliminate this as much as possible for patients which is why there is usually an evaluation before surgery to see the severity of the condition and which anesthesia would be the best in preventing post-operative cognitive impairment.
This is all the research I will share this week! Bye Bye!
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