Week 9: No anesthesia pun this time
Hey guys,
I have all my research done so I’m working on my final product but I can still give you guys some information I found.
The inhalation of certain gaseous drugs produces an insensibility to pain and this is the method that is most generally used.
- The agents expert their effect without undergoing change or combination in the body and are excreted almost entirely by exhalation from the lungs. This is in contrast to the non-volatile agents which must be detoxified before they are excreted, a process that depends upon good function of the liver and kidneys particularly.
- The depth of anesthesia is controllable from minute to minute. Thus, if the patient’s condition deteriorates, the plane of anesthesia may be lightened simply by stopping the administration, provided the patient’s circulation is adequate and good ventilation is maintained by giving oxygen.
However, intravenous anesthesia is requested more often by patients than any other type of administration. This is because of the rapid, pleasant induction and the comfortable emergence from unconsciousness. In cases where it is applicable, it is preferred by surgeons and anesthesiologists for the additional reasons that it is convenient to use, utilizes simple, readily available equipment, and provides satisfactory working conditions for the surgeon. The principal disadvantages of the method are that, once injected, the non-volatile agents are not recoverable; and their detoxification and elimination depends upon good body function, particularly of the liver and kidneys.
Contrary to general impression, the method is not free from danger of respiratory complications if the patient has a pre-existing respiratory infection and it is not safe if he has recently ingested food.
All of this information came from: Julia Gordon Arrowood. “Current Practice in Anesthesiology.” The American Journal of Nursing, vol. 54, no. 9, 1954, pp. 1098–100. JSTOR, https://doi.org/10.2307/3460589. Accessed 9 Apr. 2025.
Alright that’s it for this post! Bye Bye!
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