General Anesthesia for Surgeons

Excerpt

The surgeon should have an understanding of basic general anesthesia principles. The primary goal of general anesthesia is to render a patient unconscious and unable to feel painful stimuli while controlling autonomic reflexes. There are five main classes of anesthetic agents: intravenous (IV) anesthetics, inhalational anesthetics, IV sedatives, synthetic opioids, and neuromuscular blocking drugs. Each class has particular strengths and weaknesses in attaining the primary goal of general anesthesia. Knowing these characteristics, as well as crucial side effects, can prove beneficial for surgeons.