Week 5: Delivering anesthesia puns is like hitting the nerve of humor
Hi guys,
Hope you are having a good Spring Break! I am also on Spring Break but I still have to write a blog which I don’t mind. I am still doing a lot of research on my own but I found out that pregnant women use anesthesia sometimes if they are required to have non-obstetric surgery (surgery unrelated to the pregnancy itself) and to ensure maternal safety and to maintain the pregnant state, in-depth understanding of the physiological changes and pharmacological adaptations to pregnancy is required. Avoidance of potentially dangerous drugs at critical times during fetal development and maintenance of adequate uteroplacental perfusion are imperative for fetal safety. More importantly, the anesthesiologist must consider the effects of the disease process itself, inhibit uterine contractions and avoid preterm labor and delivery. The choice of anesthetic technique, and the selection of appropriate drugs of anesthesia should be guided by maternal indications for surgery and the location of the surgical procedure. As changes in maternal position can have profound hemodynamic (How your flood flows through your arteries and veins), positioning during anesthesia should be carried out slowly. The effects of light general anesthesia and its associated catecholamine (group of neurohormones that play a crucial role in the body’s response to stress) surge with resulting impaired uteroplacental (relationship between the uterus and placenta) perfusion are considerably more dangerous to the fetus.
General anesthetic drugs inhibit synaptic transmission and may lead to abnormal synaptic connections and inappropriate apoptosis (cell death). Many anesthetic agents have effects on neuronal receptors which are necessary for neuronal differentiation, synaptogenesis (process of forming new synapses between neurons in the brain) and survival during development. Most other anesthetic medications, including barbiturates, propofol, opioids, muscle relaxants, and local anesthetics have been widely used during pregnancy with a good safety record. Regional anesthesia, which includes peripheral nerve blocks as well neuraxial anesthesia, is an option for some surgical procedures, particularly those involving the extremities. Regional anesthesia does not reduce the exposure of fetuses to potential teratogens (substances or agents that can cause structural or functional brith defects in a developing fetus), avoids the potential risk of failed intubation and aspiration, and provides excellent postoperative analgesia.
That’s all for this week! Bye Bye!