Anaesthetic for colonoscopy

A colonoscopy is usually performed on an awake patient, as the procedure is unpleasant but not very painful. Usually the patients are given a sedative, such as Dormicum (Midazolam). This causes them to sleep during the examination.

It is also possible to perform the colonoscopy under a short anaesthetic. In this case the drug Propofol is used. It puts the patient into a pleasant, short sleep.

Propofol is administered via the vein shortly before the start of the gastroscopy. Possible side effects are a drop in blood pressure and reduced respiratory drive. As a result, the drug must not be given to patients with circulatory instability and all patients must remain in hospital or in the doctor’s office for observation for a few hours after the colonoscopy.

Anaesthetic at the dentist

For most dental procedures, a local anaesthetic in the oral cavity is sufficient. For this purpose, the dentist uses local anesthetics such as lidocaine. If major surgery is required, such as surgery on several wisdom teeth or on teeth that have been relocated to the palate, sedation or anaesthesia is also used.

For calming and relaxation (without loss of consciousness!) a sedation with nitrous oxide can be applied. Laughing gas is inhaled through a mask.

The procedure is particularly suitable for the treatment of children. A regular anaesthesia with respiration (intubation anaesthesia) can also be performed. In this case, however, the breathing tube is inserted via the nose, since the operation is performed in the oral cavity. The narcotic Propofol is administered as an induction, which leads to a complete loss of consciousness.

Anaesthetic induction

At the beginning of every anaesthesia is the so-called anaesthetic induction. Hours before the procedure, anxiety-relieving medication can be prescribed if necessary. Depending on the type of anesthesia, the induction of anesthesia can be intravenous or inhaled.

For intravenous administration, a peripheral or central venous catheter is required to deliver the drugs into the vascular system. As soon as such an access is available, hypnotics (sleeping pills), analgesics, and muscle relaxants are administered. Alternatively, anaesthesia can be induced by inhalation using an anaesthetic gas. This method is particularly interesting for persons in whom the placement of an intravenous access is not easily possible while awake (for example, children). After each induction of anaesthesia, the airways must be secured and the patient must be ventilated, as the muscle relaxing medication does not allow the patient to breathe on his own.