Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Choosing Anesthesia Services Requires Research

By Catalina Nielsen


Anesthetics have been used since ancient times and ancient civilizations. Drugs are used to quiet pain receptors and ease surgeries or the pain of injuries. The earliest documented forms of anesthesia were those of opium and mandrake, among other herbs. Modern anesthesia services have been cultivated to accuracy as a tool to assist in surgeries.

The Ancient Romans were the first to record the use of drugs in surgeries as a way of killing the pain associated with the medical procedures of the time. Their physicians used potions made from Chinese poppy flowers and mandrake root, along with other herbs of the time. In Greek, the word anesthesia can be translated into the words 'without sensation, ' referring to the effect that anesthetics are meant to have.

Today we control pain through medicines we call anesthetics. These drugs can assist in regulating the body's functions as well as lessen pain. Anesthesia is employed in surgery to temporarily place patients into unconsciousness and help regulate their breathing, heart rate, and blood flow. Without these measures most patients would go into shock or other emergency states during intrusive medical procedures.

Health is a serious concern where anesthetics are concerned. Such things as heart disease, kidney or liver damage and diabetes can effect the use of the numbing drugs. Persons with low weight or health problems are given smaller doses and monitored carefully for any signs of change in their vitals. It is important to be honest about your medical history and any allergies before allowing yourself to undergo a surgery that requires pain killers.

There are several forms of numbing medications that can be utilized to relax a patient, block their pain or keep them unconscious during a surgical procedure. Different surgeries require different methods. And individuals all require a specific dose calculated to their organism. It is not uncommon for some patients to even forget bits and pieces of events occurring on the day of their medical surgery.

There are three main types of anesthetics with two subgroups. The first, and most regularly used is local anesthetic. Local numbing is applied during small procedures such as for regular dental work and stitches. The medicine is directly applied to the area that is going to be worked on and works to block the sensory receptors in that region.

Regional anesthetic has two subgroups under it. Regional anesthetics are applied for a larger portion of the body and often make patients sleepy. Under the regional heading are the peripheral and epidural applications. Peripheral numbing occurs when the nerves of a certain area are dulled or work. Epidurals have become quite popular with pregnant, birthing mothers as it is a shot that enters the spine in order to numb the stomach and hip area.

General anesthesia is the most sensitive form out of all the anesthetic groups. It is injected through an IV into a vein and induces sleep and deep unconsciousness for many hours. General numbing medication will lower the heart rate and the breathing rate. Anesthesiologists are especially careful to monitor these cases as any mistake can result in the loss of a patient. Most anesthesia services are contracted from anesthesiology providers. This is a commonality because anesthesiologists are expensive to keep on staff.




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