What is the anaesthetic drainage?
Anaesthetic delivery describes the time between the removal of the anaesthetic at the end of the operation and the complete recovery of all bodily functions. Depending on the medication, this recovery process takes different lengths of time. Within the drainage no more drugs are running and the breathing tube is removed. The patient’s own breathing begins again. The patient wakes up and can be brought to the recovery room for monitoring.
Procedure of an anaesthetic drainage
The anaesthesia begins with the surgeons informing the anaesthetist that the operation will be completed in the next few minutes. Depending on the type of anaesthesia, the anaesthetist now turns down the drugs used and the anaesthetic gas. At the same time, the oxygen supply is increased on the ventilator, as the expulsion is associated with great stress for the body and thus with high oxygen consumption.
When the surgical wound is closed, the anaesthetics are completely eliminated. The controlled artificial respiration is switched to a system that allows the patient to breathe independently. If the patient’s own breathing is sufficient to supply the body, the artificial respiration is stopped.
The patient is addressed and awakened. As soon as a defensive reaction and coughing is observed, the breathing tube can be removed. With the exception of high-risk patients, the monitoring is removed for the way to the recovery room.
In the airlock, the patient is put back into bed and reconnected to the monitoring in the recovery room. The anesthetist ends the drainage when the patient is transferred to the recovery room. Only after a further check may the patient return to his room. In the next article you will learn about other stages of anesthesia.
What are the risks of anesthesia?
The discharge and induction of anesthesia can be compared to the take-off and landing of an airplane. The induction and discharge are the high-risk phases of anesthesia. The body must once again take over its actual tasks, which were previously performed by the machine.
When the medication is switched off, the patient must breathe on his own. One risk of anesthesia is the premature switching off of machine ventilation and the resulting oxygen deficiency in the body. Removing the breathing tube too early can also mean such an undersupply if the patient’s own breathing is not yet sufficient.
In high-risk patients, the change of medication can also lead to blood pressure crises and a breakdown of the circulation. In the case of certain painkillers, an additional medication must be given shortly before the end of the procedure, otherwise the patients react more strongly to pain. Some patients react to the discharge with strong movements and can fall off the operating table if they are not fixed.
During the drainage, the anesthetist must be continuously concentrated on the patient to avoid possible risks. If there are difficulties in the drainage, the anesthesia is restarted. For more detailed information on this topic, please read our next article: Risks of anesthesia
