Anaesthetics

General

Anaesthetics (general anaesthetics) are substances that are generally used before major surgery to ensure that patients are neither conscious nor in pain during the operation, that reflexes are switched off and that muscles are relaxed. Nowadays, several drugs are usually used in combination to achieve the best possible results with as few side effects as possible. The substance groups for an anaesthetic can therefore be divided into different groups: Anaesthetic gases, also known as inhalation anaesthetics, are gaseous or liquid substances that are administered via the respiratory tract and from there are distributed throughout the body.

Drugs that are administered via the vascular system. This group of substances includes sleeping pills, painkillers (analgesics) and muscle relaxants, which ensure complete relaxation of the muscles during the procedure. As a rule, anaesthesia is performed in the form of a balanced anaesthesia.

This means that various drugs of these substance classes are combined.

Anaesthetic gases, also known as inhalation anaesthetics, are gaseous or liquid substances that are administered via the respiratory tract and from there spread throughout the body.
Drugs that are administered via the vascular system. This group of substances includes sleeping pills, painkillers (analgesics) and muscle relaxants, which ensure complete relaxation of the muscles during the procedure.

List/names of anesthetics

Inhalation anaesthetics are gases that maintain anaesthesia. Today, gases play only a minor role in anaesthesia.

Sevoflurane,
Desflurane

Injection anesthetics (sleeping pills)

Propofol
Tipical Valley
Etomidate
Ketamine

Opiates and opioids (morphines) are used during anesthesia to keep pain during and after anesthesia at a tolerable level.

Especially the early administration of opiates and opioids has proven to be effective in terms of saving painkillers. However, this group of active substances is mainly responsible for nausea after an anaesthetic.

Morphine
Fentanyl
Sufentanil
Alfentanil
Remifentanil
Dipidolor
Novamine sulfone (Novalgin®)
Paracetamol

The effect of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants can be immediately cancelled by a so-called antidote. Antidote:

Mivacurium
Atracurium
Rocuronium
Neostigmine
Pyridostigmine
Succinylcholine

Emergency drugs are used in case of incidents such as cardiac arrest, drop in blood pressure, malignant hyperthermia or allergic reactions during anesthesia. The following active ingredients are used:

Adrenalin
Noradrenaline
Amiodarone
Atropine
Prednisolone
Dantrolene (malignant hyperthermia)