Principles of anaesthesiology

PRINCIPLES OF ANAESTHESIOLOGY

The word anaesthesia is derived from the Greek word meaning “insensible” or “without feeling”. The word does not necessarily imply loss of consciousness. Anaesthesia is defined as total but reversible loss of sensation in a particular part of the body (local anaesthesia) or in the entire body (general anaesthesia) which results from administration of a drug (or drugs) that depress the activity of part or all of the nervous system. In veterinary practice anaesthetics are used for the following reasons.

  • Elimination of sensibility to noxious stimuli
  • Humane restraint of animal  (eg. to protect the animal / personnel, facilitate diagnostic or surgical procedures)
  • Specific biomedical research tool
  • Control of convulsions
  • Euthanesia

Extent  of anaesthesia produced by drugs

  • Local/regional anaesthesia – Drugs placed in close proximity to nerve membranes causing nerve conduction thus blocking sensory response. Based on the application of the drugs (anaesthetics)
    • Topical or surface anaesthesia
    • Infiltration anaesthesia
      • Subdermal
      • Regional
    • Perineural
    • Peridural
    • Subarachnoid
  • General anaesthesia – State of controlled, reversible CNS depression (including unconsciousness) produced by one or multiple drugs
    • Injectable
    • Inhalation
    • Balanced
Last modified: Tuesday, 15 May 2012, 11:30 AM