GENERAL ANAESTHESIA Meaning and
Definition
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General anesthesia is a medical state induced in a patient to achieve a reversible loss of consciousness and sensation throughout the entire body. It is commonly used during surgical procedures to ensure the comfort and safety of the patient by eliminating pain and allowing surgical manipulation without resistance or awareness. General anesthesia is administered by a trained anesthesiologist or nurse anesthetist, and it involves the use of medication to induce unconsciousness and suppress the sensations that would otherwise be associated with surgical intervention.
The process of general anesthesia typically involves three main stages: induction, maintenance, and emergence. During the induction phase, the patient is gradually brought to a state of unconsciousness through the administration of intravenous medications or inhaled anesthetics. The maintenance phase involves monitoring and adjusting the anesthetic levels as needed to ensure the patient remains in a deep unconscious state. Finally, during the emergence phase, the anesthetic agents are discontinued, allowing the patient to regain consciousness gradually.
General anesthesia provides a range of pharmacological effects, including analgesia (pain relief), amnesia (loss of memory), immobilization, and suppression of autonomic reflexes. This allows the surgeon to perform complex procedures, such as open-heart surgery or organ transplantation, while minimizing the potential risks and discomfort for the patient. Careful monitoring of the patient's vital signs, oxygenation, and anesthesia depth is crucial throughout the procedure to ensure the patient's safety and well-being. Upon completion of the surgical intervention, the anesthetic agents are discontinued, and the patient is gradually awakened from the induced state of unconsciousness.
Common Misspellings for GENERAL ANAESTHESIA
- feneral anaesthesia
- veneral anaesthesia
- beneral anaesthesia
- heneral anaesthesia
- yeneral anaesthesia
- teneral anaesthesia
- gwneral anaesthesia
- gsneral anaesthesia
- gdneral anaesthesia
- grneral anaesthesia
- g4neral anaesthesia
- g3neral anaesthesia
- geberal anaesthesia
- gemeral anaesthesia
- gejeral anaesthesia
- geheral anaesthesia
- genwral anaesthesia
- gensral anaesthesia
- gendral anaesthesia
Etymology of GENERAL ANAESTHESIA
The word "anaesthesia" is derived from the Greek words "an" meaning "without" and "aisthēsis" meaning "sensation" or "feeling".
The word "general" in "general anaesthesia" refers to the state of unconsciousness or lack of physical sensation throughout the entire body. It is used to distinguish it from "local anaesthesia", which only affects a specific part of the body.
In medical terminology, "general anaesthesia" is used to describe a state induced by a combination of drugs that results in loss of consciousness, analgesia (absence of pain), muscle relaxation, and amnesia (loss of memory). The term was first used in the mid-19th century when these techniques were developed and became widely used in surgical procedures.
