What are the complications after general anesthesia? General anesthesia - consequences for the body

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Can cravings for drugs arise after anesthesia?.. Is intravenous anesthesia considered more gentle?.. How justified is anesthesia in cases where it is possible to endure...

Recently, another Hollywood thriller has been released. His hero, being under anesthesia during open heart surgery, suddenly comes to his senses, but is unable to attract the attention of doctors. Of course, the screenwriters accompanied the plot with a mass of chilling details, but the situation itself is not so far from reality. Cases of intraoperative awakening occur in one or two patients out of 1,000. Usually they are short-lived and, fortunately, are not accompanied by either pain or fear, but clearly illustrate one of the shortcomings of existing painkillers. Modern anesthesiology can be likened more to an art than a science, since the mechanism of action of drugs is not thoroughly understood, and anesthetics, like most other drugs, need to be improved.

Many modern anesthetics are structurally and clinically similar to ether, which was first demonstrated in 1846 by Boston dentist William Morton. Currently, in North America alone, 40 million operations are performed under general anesthesia each year. But since Morton's time, advances in anesthesiology have centered on improvements in drug delivery systems and strategies to reduce side effects.

The general anesthetics used today are the most powerful suppressants known. nervous system used in medicine. They affect the mechanisms of regulation of respiration and cardiac activity, and their therapeutic and toxic (sometimes even lethal) concentrations are very close, which should be taken into account when selecting a dose for patients with impaired lung and heart functions: it should be lower than usual. However, in this case, there is a risk of a short-term recovery from anesthesia, as in the mentioned movie...

Both main and side effect drugs for anesthesia due to the fact that they are all powerful suppressants of the nervous system, affecting the functioning of the brain and spinal cord, heart and respiratory tract. The purpose of the latest research is to identify those neuronal structures and areas, the change in the activity of which determines certain features of the state of the patient under anesthesia.

Legends about the terrible complications of anesthesia are passed from mouth to mouth - from impotence to the classic "did not wake up from anesthesia." How justified are such fears?

Each anesthetic has its own side effects. The most common are nausea, vomiting, severe headache, weakness, low blood pressure. As the drug is removed from the body, these troubles go away. The potency from anesthesia does not suffer at all. On the contrary, some patients experience sexual arousal after surgery.

Almost all anesthetics damage brain cells to some extent - some neurons die. Memory disorders and decreased concentration may persist for hours or days. But many are haunted for weeks or even months.

If a person wakes up heavily and for a long time after anesthesia, does this mean that it is contraindicated for him? If short-acting modern drugs are used, a person fully regains consciousness in 20-30 minutes. There are drugs that take longer to be excreted, then the patient will feel drowsiness and lethargy longer. It is impossible to discount the individual reaction to one or another type of anesthesia. But in general, we can say that there are no people who do not tolerate anesthesia well, there is low-quality anesthesia and the lack of proper control over the patient's condition during the operation.

Old methods of anesthesia - based on halothane, nitrous oxide or even ketamine - have many contraindications and negatively affect the brain.

Is there a risk of not waking up after anesthesia?

Real deaths from anesthesia are 1 in 200,000 elective surgeries - a miserable percentage, comparable to the likelihood that a brick will accidentally fall on your head. The majority of complications and deaths occur for surgical reasons. There is evidence that the deeper the anesthesia, the greater the risk of dying within a year after it from a variety of reasons - this pattern was revealed by a study by American scientists conducted among tens of thousands of patients who underwent surgery. What it is connected with is also unknown.

Is intravenous anesthesia considered sparing?

Intravenous anesthesia is often used for minor operations such as gynecological curettage. But many clinics that conduct them use drugs that are good for sedation, but poorly for pain relief. Others add drugs to them, after which disorders of consciousness, attention, and thinking persist for several more hours. Sparing such anesthesia, by definition, cannot be.

Modern anesthesia is performed using inhalation anesthetics. Of these, isoflurane is available in our country (recognized as the "gold standard" back in the 90s of the last century), sevoflurane (about 90% of all anesthesia in Japan is carried out using this anesthetic) and xenon (at the World Congress of Anesthesiologists in Paris, xenon was named "anesthetic of the third millennium"). They have a minimal effect on the internal organs and significantly reduce the need for the use of potent pharmacological agents. Anesthesia is becoming a simpler, more predictable, safer and more comfortable process.

Will the patient wake up during the operation? There is such a possibility. With inhalation anesthesia, this happens in 1% of cases, with anesthesia with nitrous oxide - in 20%, with the use of ketamine - up to 25%. This often happens, for example, during emergency caesarean section, when providing surgical care to victims of multiple injuries, as well as in cardiac surgery.

How justified is anesthesia in cases where it is possible to suffer: in the dental office or during simple operations? Always justified. It's just that different anesthetics are used for each case: with minor interventions - lighter, local effects, with a major operation - and severe anesthesia.

Prolonged pain itself can lead to disorders of the central nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine glands ...

Can drug cravings occur after anesthesia or the use of painkillers?

Long-term practice convinces: any drugs used for medicinal purposes do not lead to drug addiction. Even if narcotic drugs are prescribed in the postoperative period. This is one of the features of the human psyche - one might say, a protective mechanism: if the drug was used for analgesic purposes, and not for euphoria, addiction will not occur.

Is the choice of anesthesia a matter for the doctor or does the patient also have a say?

Before the operation, the surgeon informs which method of anesthesia he chooses depending on the pathology, nature and complexity of the surgical intervention, and the patient, if he does not mind, "gives a signature" on informed consent. Usually they agree with the anesthesiologist, but the wishes of the patient must also be taken into account. If, say, spinal anesthesia is indicated, and the patient does not want to be fully "present" at the operation (the sight of a searchlight is terrible, the jingle of instruments), you can not turn off consciousness completely, but with the help of sedatives, muffle it somewhat, make it half asleep.

REFERENCE.

Endotracheal anesthesia Anesthetic in the form of a gas or vapor is supplied through a rubber or plastic tube directly into the respiratory tract. With this technique, the area of ​​interaction of the drug with the lungs increases. It is especially appropriate for operations on the head and neck.

Rectal anesthesia With "bad" veins, the anesthetic can be injected into the rectum. Most often, an enema is used during anesthesia in children. Sleep usually occurs after 20 minutes, and then gaseous anesthetics enter the body through a mask or endotracheal tube to maintain the desired depth of anesthesia.

Nerve block The chemical is injected into the environment of the nerves, which determine the sensitivity at the site of the operation. Regional blockade - in areas remote from the site of the operation; local - at the site of the proposed intervention; topical - an anesthetic is applied to the mucous membrane - for example, instilled into the eye and spinal - the nerve is blocked in the area that exits the substance of the spinal cord, but is still washed by the cerebrospinal fluid. During the operation, the patient remains conscious.

Epidural anesthesia The anesthetic is injected into the space between the dura mater and the bone tissue of the vertebrae, in contact with the nerves at the sites of their exit from the spinal cord.

Hypnosis Auxiliary means in anesthesiology. But not everyone is amenable to hypnotic suggestion.

Acupuncture Chinese acupuncture relieves pain during surgery and can be used instead of other methods of anesthesia.

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Since general anesthesia began to be used in medicine, it has become possible to perform complex operations without the fear that the operated person will die from pain shock.

However, the consequences of anesthesia can be quite dangerous.

Let's figure out why general anesthesia is harmful for a person, how it affects the body, and what complications it can give.

Why are patients afraid of anesthesia?

Many patients are not so much afraid of the intervention itself as they are worried that they will be put into a state of general anesthesia. This is due to numerous myths and rumors around anesthesia.

Indeed, in the history of medicine, cases are described when a narcotic substance did not have the desired effect, and additional administration of the drug led to the death of the patient.

The second thing that general anesthesia is dangerous, according to patients, is a condition when a person is immobilized, but he is aware of everything and feels pain. Such fears are justified, and in practice this happens in about 0.2% of cases.

Side effects of anesthetics


Today, many different anesthetics have been developed, and which of them will be used in a particular case is determined by the anesthetist. His choice depends on the type and complexity of the surgical intervention, the patient's contraindications to certain types of drugs. The experience and qualifications of the anesthesiologist matters.

Preparations for anesthesia of surgical interventions, providing general anesthesia, are potent, have a number of side effects.

About a third of patients after general anesthesia feel vomiting, dizziness. These effects are due to a decrease in blood pressure. The patient needs to recover from anesthesia lying down without eating.

Confusion of thoughts, biased assessments of reality, deviant behavior during recovery from anesthesia are more often observed in elderly patients. As the anesthetic wears off, this condition disappears.

Tremor of the limbs and head, general trembling of the body can be triggered by some types of anesthetics. It is safe and lasts no more than half an hour.

The consequences after anesthesia can manifest as itchy sensations on the skin. This effect should be reported to the doctor, since it can equally indicate both an allergy to medications and a side effect of morphine anesthetics.

Pain in the back after general anesthesia can disturb the patient for a period of several hours to several days, and is explained by a long stay in the supine position. Muscle pain is most often noted by young men. Some patients complain of sore throat. They can be quite long, cause serious discomfort.

Harmful side effects of anesthetic drugs may not appear at all. What consequences general anesthesia will have, whether it will cause harm or pass without a trace, depends on many factors. Anesthesiologists try to take them into account, but it is not always possible to predict what will be side effect anesthesia.

The effect of anesthetics on the body


The harm of general anesthesia is not discussed, since this is a generally recognized fact, because potent narcotic substances are used for it. Let's figure out how general anesthesia works, what consequences it can have for the body.

The most dangerous complications that can occur in people from general anesthesia are a deterioration in the functioning of the central nervous system, a decrease in the cognitive functions of the brain. In addition, the consequences of general anesthesia can lead to a decrease in working capacity, sleep disorders, a deterioration in the ability to remember information, and impaired concentration.

The harm of anesthesia is sometimes noted for a long time in the form of panic attacks, partial memory loss, dysfunction of the heart, liver and kidneys.

Such complications of anesthesia are caused by the death of brain neurons or a microstroke due to a decrease in intracranial pressure under the action of an anesthetic. Factors such as advanced age, the presence of severe pathologies, and an overdose of a narcotic substance can aggravate the asthenic consequence of anesthesia.

Possible consequences and complications of general anesthesia


Let's figure out how harmful anesthesia is more specifically.

The most dangerous consequences of anesthesia in adults and children are damage to the central nervous system of varying severity, infection of the lungs, damage to nerve fibers and eyes. With the endotracheal method of anesthetic administration, mechanical damage to the oral cavity and teeth is possible.

Even the most qualified anesthesiologist cannot predict in advance what effect this or that drug will have in a particular case. To prevent complications and predict possible consequences, the patient undergoes a comprehensive examination.

However, the development of anaphylactic shock cannot be ruled out. Approximately 5% of such a severe allergic reaction to an anesthetic is fatal.

One of the most unpleasant complications is the return of consciousness in the process of surgical intervention. The state of immobility and pain can be harmful to the psyche, especially if the patient is a child.

Impact on the heart


Heart failure, a recent heart attack are absolute contraindications for surgery under general anesthesia. Assessing the risks, doctors compare the possibility of saving a patient's life when using radical methods of treatment and without them.

People with a history of coronary artery disease, tachycardia, hypertension or hypotension, arrhythmia, cardiomyalgia or other diseases of the cardiovascular system undergo a thorough examination before surgery.

It is necessary to assess how dangerous the surgical intervention is for a person with this health condition. If a decision is made to perform a life-saving operation, the anesthetist must determine the least dangerous drug. Narcosis can affect the deterioration of the condition of cardiac patients.

Impact on children


If an operation is required for a child, they try to postpone it as long as possible so that he matures and gains strength. However, there are cases when it is impossible to hesitate, and the child ends up on the operating table. Complications in children older than two years are observed quite rarely.

When it is possible to wait, doctors do not recommend performing operations under the age of 4-5 years. Today, the level of development of pharmacology is such that drugs used in pediatrics, including anesthetics, have a minimum of side and harmful effects.

The greatest danger of general anesthesia is for the elderly, in whose body all processes, including regeneration, slow down, and patients suffering from serious illnesses.

If a person is generally healthy, with the exception of indications for surgery, has no excess weight, problems with the cardiovascular and central nervous system, adheres to the norms of a healthy lifestyle, then the consequences will be minimal.

Can you imagine modern medicine without… anesthesia? And, your trip to the dentist without a special anesthetic injection? And, any other medical manipulations that are accompanied by very painful and uncomfortable sensations, without the absence of special anesthesia? Of course not, most of us will answer. However, as a historical reference, we want to remind you that such painless medicine was not always, and mankind learned about anesthesia not so long ago.

But, be that as it may, despite the fact that anesthesia immerses us in a painless sleep, there are still a number of statements indicating that anesthesia is not so harmless to the human body.

Is it really? And what is anesthesia? What happens to our body and mind under anesthesia? And what effect does general anesthesia have on the human body, and in particular on the brain - to all these questions, we will look for answers in our publication ...

What is anesthesia

Anesthesia is a condition accompanied by loss of consciousness, which is caused artificially (not to be confused with fainting) and is reversible. When using anesthesia, in addition to loss of consciousness, patients experience the effect of anesthesia, which makes it possible to actively use these properties of anesthesia in various fields of medicine, when it is necessary to carry out a number of medical manipulations accompanied by painful sensations.

This state of anesthesia is achieved through the use of special anesthetics. And, he watches the whole process - a special doctor - an anesthesiologist, it is he who calculates the optimal dose of the drug that gives anesthesia, combines such drugs, while relying on the individual indicators of the human body.

“What if I don’t wake up?” - 90% of people who have undergone anesthesia, before plunging into such an unconscious and insensible state, asked themselves this question.

“What if, after anesthesia, I will have complications, I will lose my memory, I will forget my name ...” - 65% of people ask themselves these questions before anesthesia.

So, is it worth being afraid of anesthesia - or is it just an artificial dream(well, we are not afraid to sleep and do not ask ourselves all these questions every night before going to bed) ...

Having calmed down a little and looking at things realistically, we understand that without such anesthesia we simply cannot survive a single operation, but the hackneyed phrases that “anesthesia”, “affects the functioning of our heart, impairs our memory” resurface in our memory ... And , there is also a number of “well-wishers”, instead of supporting and reassuring - on the contrary, he claims that anesthesia is a small death, and “from there” you can not return ...

After all this, even the most inveterate skeptic has some excitement, especially before the operation with anesthesia ...

"Ah, maybe I'm somehow without anesthesia?" - this question "kills" surgeons and doctors. After all, we, patients, do not understand or do not want to understand that it is much worse than such anesthesia, and not all pain can and should be endured ... And if the doctor knew that we can survive the operation without anesthesia, he would definitely use this opportunity. Therefore, it is not worth arguing with when anesthesia is prescribed for you and “heroism” about this - “I will tolerate” - is not worth it. If you need it, then you need it...

The effect of anesthesia on the human body

In order to answer How does anesthesia affect the human body?, it is necessary to build on what type of anesthesia is used in each case. After all, depending on the nature of medical manipulations, different types of anesthesia are used. So, for example,

in case of surgical interventions on the internal organs that are located above the diaphragm area - anesthesia with artificial ventilation of the lungs is used, while in the case of heart operations - anesthesia with artificial circulation is used.

Similarly, the methods of administering anesthesia can also be different - intravenous injection, inhaled air through a special mask or other types of anesthesia (including spinal or epidural anesthesia).

The choice of which type of anesthesia to use during the operation is the right of the anesthesiologist, and the patient cannot choose the type of such anesthesia. Therefore, one should not be surprised that several people undergo the same operation under different types anesthesia. This is quite justified, because the anesthesiologist chooses the type of anesthesia that will work best for you ...

Depending on what type of anesthesia was used, the time of its duration, the method of administration, as well as the personal perception of the body of such anesthesia, after anesthesia, phenomena such as memory impairment, sleep disturbance, hearing and speech impairment can be observed (these symptoms disappear already a few hours after the operation), in some cases hallucinations.

But, if anesthesia were so harmful, and the changes that it brings to our lives are so irreversible, medicine would simply not use it.


Still, let's talk about anesthesia or pain relief during surgery and for various diseases. This is an area in which I have been practicing for many years and I can tell you a lot of interesting things.

My patients often ask questions about which anesthesia is better - general or spinal (correct spinal anesthesia), what the effects of anesthesia on the body after surgery can be, how a colonoscopy is performed under anesthesia and the price of the procedure.

But first, let's figure out what anesthesia or anesthesia is, and what an anesthesiologist-resuscitator does. There is an opinion that the function of an anesthesiologist is to give an injection so that the patient falls asleep and dangle his legs, sitting on a chair, all the time while the surgeon is working.

However, this is a completely wrong idea! After all, it is not for nothing that anesthesiology and resuscitation have been singled out as a separate area of ​​\u200b\u200bmedicine and doctors are specially trained in this profession.

Everything is very complicated, since the anesthesiologist not only relieves the patient of pain during surgery, the anesthesiologist is responsible for the patient's life while he is on the operating table and until he is fully awakened and transferred to another anesthesiologist-resuscitator or transferred to ordinary room.

Physiological basis of anesthesia

The physiological basis of anesthesia is related to the fact that any operation, even painless, is a huge stress for the body. Stress leads to the disruption of adaptation processes, which in turn causes the launch of damage mechanisms and undesirable and even dangerous consequences.

The physiological basis of pain relief is to suppress the body's stress response before surgery and protect the patient from heart attacks, strokes, shock, etc. The physiological basis of pain relief can be explained according to Selye's stress theory.

This is a famous scientist of the past, read about his experiments and scientific research, it is very interesting.

Surgical intervention is an unpredictable process, and when I am asked what the consequences of anesthesia after surgery on the body can be, I wonder why patients are not interested in the consequences of the operation itself?

You need to understand that surgical treatment is carried out for sick people who may have problems with the heart, brain, blood vessels, liver, kidneys, and very often with the lungs.

A healthy patient is an ideal patient for an anesthesiologist. But here, too, there are pitfalls. For example, laparoscopic removal of the gallbladder in a patient without any comorbidities can cause a reflex decrease in pressure and even cardiac arrest due to inflation of the abdominal cavity with air.

Air is needed for the surgeon to have good review organs for the endoscope and could easily get close to the gallbladder. At the same time, excess air causes displacement and compression of the chest organs. Displacement can cause reflexes on the part of the body and sad consequences.

Therefore, the anesthesiologist during the entire time of the surgeon's work constantly monitors the patient's ECG, heart rate, respiration and pressure, and at the slightest sign of anxiety takes measures to eliminate the danger to life.

Do you know that sometimes malfunctions of the anesthesia machine, which provides breathing and delivers an anesthetic mixture to the patient's body, suddenly occur? Therefore, the anesthesiologist must understand not only the treatment, but also complex medical equipment!

The same drugs for anesthesia can lead to side effects: malignant hyperthermia, anaphylactic reaction, adverse effects on the heart and breathing. All these drug effects are known and the anesthesiologist is specially trained to prevent them.

But there are also unforeseen complications associated both with the operation itself and with the initial state of health of the operated person.

You can list a bunch of different complications that can develop during the operating period: bleeding, myocardial infarction, stroke, vascular thrombosis, rupture of a bullous lung cyst, hypertensive crisis, collapse, etc.

None of these complications can be 100% predicted, but an experienced doctor, after examining the patient and studying his analyzes and medical history, is able to assume the main risks during anesthesia and do everything to minimize them during surgery.

Which anesthesia is better - general or spinal (spinal anesthesia)?

The question is also wrong, since the choice of anesthesia method depends not only on the patient's condition, but also on the type of operation. For some interventions, general anesthesia is preferable, but general anesthesia for caesarean section is performed only if there are certain indications.

What is the best anesthesia for caesarean section? Currently, preference is given to spinal anesthesia with its minimal impact on the body of the baby and mother.

But spinal anesthesia also has consequences: headache, decreased pressure, pain at the catheterization site, hematoma, impaired sensitivity, damage to the roots and the spinal cord itself, and, extremely rarely, sexual problems.

During the operating period, spinal anesthesia can spread very widely and cause respiratory arrest in the operated patient, which requires an emergency transfer to mechanical ventilation.

General anesthesia - contraindications


Unlike spinal anesthesia, general anesthesia has many more contraindications, which limits its use in elderly patients with anomalies of the facial part of the skull and respiratory system, myasthenia gravis and serious heart problems.

In reality, the effects of anesthesia after surgery are usually minimal. With the use of modern drugs, the recovery from anesthesia has become absolutely calm and hassle-free. Nausea, vomiting, headache are rare. There may be discomfort in the throat due to irritation by the endotracheal tube, but these sensations pass within a day.

The negative impact of modern anesthetics on cognitive functions is poorly understood, however, it is assumed that within 2-3 days all amnesia phenomena quickly disappear.

As for long-term disorders of consciousness, in 50% of cases, according to recent studies, cognitive functions are affected in elderly patients who have undergone cardiovascular or brain surgery.

This problem does not depend on the anesthesia itself, but on the characteristics and complexity of surgical treatment, the patient's condition in the preoperative period, and intraoperative complications.

The most common effects of anesthesia after surgery are: lethargy, drowsiness, drooling, nausea, vomiting, headache, dry mouth, weakness, amnesia of previous events. More severe violations are explained by the individual characteristics of the organism and the very course of surgical treatment.

Thus, we have analyzed the main consequences of anesthesia after surgery on the body and made sure that it is necessary to consider the situation as a whole, and not the method of anesthesia, as the cause of the consequences.

In this article, I would also like to highlight the issue of colonoscopy. In fact, a colonoscopy is a very unpleasant procedure, and if you have no contraindications to anesthesia, then it is better to save yourself the hard feelings.

Colonoscopy under anesthesia varies greatly in price, but the main thing is to choose a clinic with experienced doctors and good equipment. I don't think the price of a colonoscopy under anesthesia would be too much for the average person with the average salary.

In addition, many patients are embarrassed by this procedure, and colonoscopy under anesthesia at an affordable price allows you to turn off a person’s consciousness for a short time, and he will not see, hear or feel anything.

Another painful moment in the use of anesthesia is pain relief in oncology. Many people think that only drugs are used for pain relief in oncology. But it's not.

It is possible to anesthetize a patient with a cancerous process with the help of conduction or epidural anesthesia, which will give an equally good, but at the same time harmless effect. Unfortunately, such methods of pain relief in oncology can only be carried out in stationary conditions.

And drugs, which are often used for pain relief in cancerous processes, are addictive and addictive, damage the liver and kidneys, thereby shortening the life of a sick person.

Much can be written about anesthesia, its types, effects, problems and consequences. But this topic, unlike other medical fields, is replete with such specific terms and is so difficult for those who do not understand medicine to understand that I do not even try to cover these issues in detail on my blog.

However, if you have specific questions, important and urgent, ask them in the comments. I will definitely answer as accessible as I usually tell my patients. also ask your questions in the chat or in my . But do not forget that I am also a human being and a medical practitioner. I will answer for sure, but there may be a delay.

But my personal opinion is that the most best advice The doctor can give you only during a personal visit and examination. If you have a serious question, then do not delay visiting a doctor and do not rely only on correspondence consultations.

In our country, quite a lot of people were faced with the fact that they needed anesthesia. General anesthesia is used for many surgeries today. However, it is difficult to say how this or that painkiller will affect the human body. Many factors influence the tolerability of anesthesia. These include gender, age, the presence of drug or alcohol addiction, general health, various pathologies. The main problem is that the effect of anesthesia on the human body can manifest itself some time after the operation. In this article, we will look at what general anesthesia is and what the consequences of its use can be.

basic information

General anesthesia is a type of anesthesia in which a person is artificially introduced into an unconscious state. It is usually used to block pain during various medical procedures and surgical interventions. To get lost pain, it is necessary to take special medicines, selected in a certain dosage. Such drugs contribute to the immersion of the cortical centers of the brain in a narcotic sleep. Medicines can enter the human body different ways: by inhalation or in the form of parenteral administration.

Stages

Let's look at them in more detail. How does anesthesia affect the human body? The effect of anesthetics occurs in several stages:

  1. Analgesia: At this stage there is a loss of sensation and a gradual loss of consciousness.
  2. Stage of excitation: it is caused by some means. This stage is characterized by short-term excitability of the brain centers.
  3. Surgical stage: loss of all kinds of sensitivity and excitability.
  4. Awakening: painful syndromes, motor abilities and consciousness gradually return.

Many are interested in whether anesthesia is harmful to the human body. All types of anesthesia can provoke some changes in a person's condition. As a rule, this is determined by the properties of the selected drug and the individual characteristics of the organism.

Types of anesthesia

Let's dwell on this in more detail. The consequences of general anesthesia on the human body depend on its type. Single use usually does not pose a particular threat to humans. To bring the patient into a state of sleep, various preparations containing analgesics, antipsychotics, anesthetics can be used. There are several types of general anesthesia.

Allocate:

  1. Inhalation method: the drug enters the bloodstream through the lungs by inhalation of funds in a gaseous state. As a rule, this format of anesthesia is used in dental clinics.
  2. Non-inhalation method: drugs are administered intravenously or intramuscularly. This technique is used less frequently than the first.

This method of drug administration can be divided into:

  1. The introduction of drugs into the venous blood. Commonly used drugs such as Thiopental, Ketamine, Rekofol. They lead to a slight relaxation of the muscles and deep sleep with the preservation of the respiratory capacity.
  2. Neuroleptanalgesia. It is a superficial method of anesthesia. Causes lethargy and drowsiness. Usually carried out with the help of "Fentanyl" and "Droperidol".
  3. Ataralgesia. Pain loss is achieved by taking tranquilizers such as Fentanyl and Diazepam.
  4. Combined methods. Using this option substances of different pharmacological groups gradually enter the body: these are antipsychotics, analgesics, and anesthetics. Means for inhalation are introduced along with such relaxants as "Arduan" and "Ditilin". These substances are responsible for blocking neuromuscular impulses. The result is a complete loss of breathing ability. This condition can be very dangerous. As a rule, this type of anesthesia is used in conjunction with mechanical ventilation and tracheal intubation.

What is the danger?

This issue should be given special attention. How does general anesthesia affect the human body? In 99% of cases, anesthesia works well. However, in 1% complications are possible. It is for this reason that during surgical operations, the anesthesiologist must monitor the patient's condition. In this case, the doctor, suspecting something was wrong, will be able to urgently provide assistance.

Many patients ask quite legitimate questions about how anesthesia affects the human body and whether it is possible to die from it. Of course, in medical practice there have been cases of fatal reactions. However, the development of modern technologies has significantly reduced the likelihood of death.

Medical centers today use various techniques that help minimize the negative impact of general anesthesia on the human body. However, even such methods do not completely eliminate the occurrence of dangerous consequences of anesthesia, leading to a significant deterioration in the general condition.

Possible Complications

So what should you expect? As a rule, after the operation, when recovering from general anesthesia, symptoms such as:

  • mild convulsions;
  • nausea;
  • sore throat;
  • headache;
  • disorientation in space;
  • feeling of itching;
  • pain in the back and lower back;
  • clouding of consciousness;
  • muscle ache.

This effect of anesthesia on the human body usually lasts a short time. During the first 24 hours after the operation, all symptoms disappear.

Consequences

Is a longer effect of anesthesia on the human body possible? The consequences may remain for quite a long time after the surgical procedures.

For example, patients sometimes experience:

  1. Panic attacks: These are usually uncontrollable attacks of fear that can disrupt the usual rhythm of life.
  2. Memory disorders: cases of short-term amnesia are often observed. Sometimes children after surgery cannot remember the elementary rules that were taught at school.
  3. Disorders in the work of the heart muscle, tachycardia, increased heart rate.
  4. Increased blood pressure.
  5. Violations in the functioning of the liver and kidneys.

How does anesthesia affect the human body? Half a century ago, in 70% of cases of general anesthesia, negative consequences were observed. Today, only one operation out of 3-4 thousand ends with a fatal outcome.

How does anesthesia affect the general condition?

What do you need to know about it? Before performing a surgical operation, a specialist must choose the method of anesthesia. It takes into account many factors, including the individual characteristics of a person. for the human body? Most often, after leaving this state, adults experience such negative manifestations as sleep, hearing, speech, headaches, memory impairment and hallucinations. As a rule, after a certain period of time, all these violations disappear.

Serious Complications

The human body after anesthesia can recover in different ways. Someone easily tolerates anesthesia, and someone needs a lot of time to recover.

Complications that occur after anesthesia include:

  • asthma attacks;
  • swelling of the respiratory system;
  • vomit;
  • inflammatory processes;
  • cerebral edema;
  • violation of cerebral circulation;
  • asthenia;
  • kidney failure.

It is impossible to say unequivocally how anesthesia will affect the body. Here, everything largely depends on the type of anesthesia, the method of its application and the duration of use. You should also take into account such a feature as individual sensitivity to medications.

Effect on the brain

How does it manifest itself? Anesthesia during operations has a negative effect on the brain. Most patients report a disorder mental abilities, decreased concentration and memory impairment. These complications may appear gradually and are temporary.

The most common consequences of anesthesia include asthenic syndrome. It can be accompanied by significant changes in the functioning of the central nervous system. First, there are symptoms such as sleep disturbance, insomnia, depression, mood swings, frequent fatigue, decreased performance. Secondary signs are absent-mindedness, difficulty remembering, and loss of learning ability. These manifestations usually gradually disappear 3 months after surgery.

Causes of complications

So, why might they appear? How does the human body react after anesthesia? What causes complications? It is believed that the reasons may be that the drugs lower blood pressure. Anesthetic substances can even cause a mini-stroke. As a rule, this proceeds completely imperceptibly to a person. In addition, if after the operation the patient refused to take antispasmodics, he may develop an inflammatory process. In childhood and old age, the occurrence of asthenic syndrome is more likely. chronic diseases, prolonged use of pain medications and severe postoperative trauma can also contribute to the development of such complications.

How does anesthesia affect the heart?

What to expect? The effect of anesthesia on the body of a person suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system is difficult to predict. Therefore, before using general anesthesia, it is imperative to undergo a complete examination. Only according to its results, the specialist will be able to assess the general health of the patient and recommend the type of anesthesia. Methods and means of administration of the drug can affect the heart. Some cores tolerate anesthesia well, others experience various unpleasant symptoms. These include: a feeling of tightness in the chest, painful and stabbing sensations, rapid pulse, fever.

Anesthesia affects the conduction system of the heart, which can cause arrhythmia. Such phenomena, fortunately, do not last long. In some cases, the pathology persists.

Effect on the female body

What can happen? Doctors do not recommend the use of anesthesia during pregnancy. toxic and can adversely affect the health of the baby. Anesthetics are forbidden to use in the 1-2nd trimester. It is at this time that the internal organs are laid in the fetus. Anesthesia can slow down their development, which in the future can provoke various internal and external deviations. Anesthesia is also not recommended for use in the middle of the 3rd trimester. This can lead to bleeding, miscarriage or premature birth.

During a caesarean section, general anesthesia is used.

It may have the following consequences:

  • headache;
  • dizziness;
  • nausea;
  • muscle spasms;
  • decrease in concentration;
  • clouding of consciousness;
  • convulsive syndromes.

The effect of anesthesia on the child's body

Babies, as a rule, tolerate anesthesia without any problems and quickly forget its consequences. This is one of the features of child psychology. The reaction to painkillers is strictly individual. Any intervention can adversely affect the development and growth of the child. Most often in children, when using general anesthesia, complications such as allergic reactions and disorders in the functioning of the heart muscle occur. Anesthesia can also disrupt the central nervous system and affect the rate of development. Possible consequences of anesthesia in childhood are anaphylaxis, Quincke's edema and coma. However, these symptoms are extremely rare.

Conclusion

In this article, we examined how anesthesia works on the human body. The consequences of anesthesia are largely determined by individual characteristics. Often, after anesthesia, a person feels nausea, headache, dizziness and disorientation. This is quite normal, after a while all the symptoms will pass.