Description
Challenge the assertion that 'the safest anaesthesia is the one you know' with the response 'then know the one you are doing'.
Although we often use the same anaesthetic drugs every day, it is critical that we understand the effects on each individual patient at a specific dose and route of administration. All too often, an anaesthetic drug is 'blamed' for a patient experiencing an adverse anaesthetic event; however, the Confidential Enquiry into into Perioperative Small Animal Fatalities (CEPSAF; Brodbelt et al 2008) determined that there was no specific anesthesia drug that increased morbidity or mortality; rather, it could be the patient's health status and how they are being monitored in those who have received it.
As part of a multimodal and balanced approach to a patient's anaesthesia experience, multiple drugs are frequently administered. These all produce different physiological effects, such as bradycardia, hypotension, muscle rigidity, and even excitement. Understanding where and how these anaesthetic drugs work allows us to predict and troubleshoot any adverse effects they may have on our patients.
In this webinar, we will discuss the anaesthesia triad and the stages of anaesthesia our patients move through, as well as common anaesthesia drugs used in premedication, those that provide analgesia such as opioids and NMDA antagonists and benzodiazepines.
Learning Objectives
- Understand why premedication is beneficial to patients undergoing general anaesthesia
- Understand the pharmacology of common sedatives and analgesics
- Identify where different drugs act on the pain pathway
- Plan anaesthetic protocols that take into account the pharmacological effects and interactions of the drugs used
- Discuss how premedication can impact a patient's anaesthesia recovery experience
