Discuss the following with regard to general and localanesthetic agents: a. What

Question

Discuss the following with regard to general and localanesthetic agents: a. What is balanced anesthesia? b. What are the actions of general and local anestheticagents? c. What are the key general nursing care considerations forpatients receiving anesthetic agents? Discuss the following with regard to general and localanesthetic agents: a. What is balanced anesthesia? b. What are the actions of general and local anestheticagents? c. What are the key general nursing care considerations forpatients receiving anesthetic agents?

Explanation / Answer

Balancedanesthesia allows us to minimize patient risk and maximize patientcomfort and safety. The objectives of balanced anesthesia areto calm the patient, minimize pain, and reduce the potential foradverse effects associated with analgesic and anestheticagents.

Calming the patient isimportant to allow for ease in handling and to decrease the amountof stress in the patient. As we know, stress can causetachycardia, tachypnoea, hypertension, and other consequences ofcatecholamine release. These can all be detrimental to theanesthetized patient. Stress and anxiety contribute to thenociceptive pain process. Some examples of medications that calmthe patient are acepromazine, diazepam or midazolam, andmedetomidine.

General (volatile) anestheticagents used during surgical operations are known to depress liverfunction by 40% and to reduce renal blood flow and the glomerularfiltration rate to 50% of normal levels. The local anestheticagents, in contrast to general anesthetics, have no significanteffect on liver function or glomerular filtration rate

Becauseof the rapid changes in patient status during anesthesia, qualifiedanesthesia personnel shall be continuously present to monitor thepatient and provide anesthesia care. In the event there is a directknown hazard, e.g., radiation, to the anesthesia personnel whichmight require intermittent remote observation of the patient, someprovision for monitoring the patient must be made. In the eventthat an emergency requires the temporary absence of the personprimarily responsible for the anesthetic, the best judgment of theanesthesiologist will be exercised in comparing the emergency withthe anesthetized patient’s condition and in the selection ofthe person left responsible for the anesthetic during the temporaryabsence.

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