Tech in Surgery Prep / Unit 5 TSC 109 worked example, 60 to 90 seconds
General, Regional and Sedation
The idea
Anesthesia comes in several types, chosen by the anesthesia provider to fit the procedure and the patient.
In practice
Take the types in order of depth. First, general anesthesia produces a reversible unconsciousness, usually by intravenous drugs to start and inhaled agents to maintain it, with breathing supported by a machine. Second, regional anesthesia blocks sensation in one region: spinal anesthesia is injected into the fluid around the spinal cord, epidural anesthesia into the space around it, often through a catheter, and peripheral nerve blocks near specific nerves. Third, moderate sedation, also called conscious sedation, leaves the patient relaxed but able to respond and to breathe unaided. Fourth, monitored anesthesia care combines sedation and local anesthetic, with the ability to convert to general anesthesia if needed.
Where people slip
Under sedation or regional anesthesia the patient may be awake and listening. What the team says in the room is heard, and the field is managed with that in mind.
Your place on the trail
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