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Disclaimer: This is a general guide to anaethestics and what is generally used. I'm not a doctor, please seek profressional advics in regards to your own health and suitability to under any anaethestics of any kind. I simply work in field that gives me this knowledge. TABLE OF CONTENT: I will link to different posts when they become relevant so people dont get lost seeking specific information. 1. POST ONE: Types of Anaethestics 2. POST TWO: The importance of following pre operation instructions. Anaesthetics 101: What exactly is Anaethetics? According to webdictonary Anaethetics is 'a substance that induces insensitivity to pain.' Its a pharmaceutical substance in which is directly injected into your veins or inhaled. This thread hopefully can impart some knowledge of anaethestics and the importance of pre-operative, post operative care. Types of Anaethestics: •Gas: The simplest form of inhaled sedation drug. Commonly known as sevo gas or nitric oxide. Simply known to most as laughing gas to most. It is used for induction of surgery. The half life of those gases are only 15seconds. It wont take away your pain, but distracts you and relaxes you so that they can insert a cannula. Gas form of anesthesia isnt common for the duration of the surgery as its too unpredictable. Rather it is used to help calm the patient and allow them to feel relaxed. It leaves the body when you exhale. •Twilight sedation or Sedation Twilight sedation is simply sedation. It is used so the patient can be conscious but also like a trance. Its a state where you're awake but not aware. Most common sedation medication is known as Midazolam. Half life of midazolam is approx 1.5hours to 2.5hours. The common side effect of such drugs is grogginess, headaches, dizziness and memory loss in the period that the medication is used. If twilight sedation is used, the patient should be breathing on their own and can protect their own airway. Thus reducing the need to be 'intubated' or having a breathing tube down. •Blocks or Local Anaesthetic Another form of anaethestic is just using a nerve block or spinal block for the surgery. It means the patient will be fully concious and aware of their surroundings during surgery. The medication is injected directly into the nerve and should completely numb the area. This is not often foolproof and upon wearing off. Can cause pins and needles sensation. Spinal blocks are commonly used to paralyse the patient from the waist down in order for surgeons to perform surgery. However, it can cause cause permanent paralysis if not correctly administered. There's also simple local anaesthetic that surgeons use intraoperative by directly injecting to operative site. Some of them contain adrenaline which in small doses in healthy adults be no problem. But those with underlying heart conditions should be mindful of. •General Anaesthetic: Often associated with what Michael Jackson got for sleep. Medication of choice is generally propofol. Half life is 2 to 24hours. However actual pharmacological effect peaks at 2min mark, and effective for only 5 to 10minutes. It puts you to complete sleep, and makes you unconscious. A side effect of this, is it causes respiratory depression. In which you don't breathe enough or deep enough to maintain optimal oxygen level in your body. Thus, patients undergoing GA usually will have a breathing tube, and will be connected up to a ventilator (machine that gives calculated breaths). However, you may still move some of your muscles in your chemically induced sleep. Much like natural sleep. Common side effects are dizziness, nausea, grogginess, headaches etc. Some are known to 'shiver' post anaesthestics, as their bodies try to get rid of the medication from your system. These are the most common form of anaethestics. There are some that used combination of GA with local infiltration by surgeon or can give twilight sedation to start off. But then put into deeper sleep by general anaesthetics.

The importance of following preoperative instructions For those who are new to surgery. You may be given a set of instructions to follow in order to prepare yourself for surgery. But! I bet you have questions on why it is important to follow them. Most important rule is DISCLOSE any medication and medical history that you may have. EVEN if you do think its relevant. Sometimes something small that happened a long time ago, may be important when you do surgery. When you're being operated on, your body will be under stress. And some old medical conditions can flare up under body stress. So please be mindful of this! Fasting: Fasting means to be nil by mouth. This means no water, no food, nothing that can stimulate saliva production in mouth to stomach. The only things you can take orally is your medications. ANY medication that is used to treat medical conditions can be taken, with as minimal water as possible. Ideal fasting times are: if your surgery is in the first thing in the morning. Try to have a small meal at midnight, and then nothing from 12 o'clock midnight onwards. If your surgery is in the afternoon, (after 1pm). You can have a light breakfast at 5am in the morning then its nothing from then onwards. •Why fasting is important? In the evident that you may involuntarily vomit, you would want no chance that whatever you vomit may end up in your lungs. The chances of this happening under GA is low, as your airway is protected. BUT, after the removal of your artifical airway. You may vomit and may be too groggy to protect your airway. If any solids or fluids that are foreign end up in your lungs. You may end up with a condition known as aspiration pneumonia. Treating it is much harder, and often mortality rate is high if you aquire this. Medications: Some people take supplements to add to their diets. Please still always seek medical advice before stopping some of your medications. ALWAYS disclose whatever medication you take as it can effect how your recovery and anaethestics are metabolized. Importance of declaring allergies: Allergies are vital to be declared to treating doctors and anaethestists. Did you know some medical products contain same protein as foods? Parts of latex gloves have the same protein as kiwifruit. So please tell your doctors and explain your symptoms of allergies when you go for surgery. Even if you think its just minor, please let them know!