What medications and what remedies are used?
During short anaesthesia, an anaesthetic (hypnotics) and a painkiller are usually administered through the vein. For hypnotics, the drug Propofol is often used. It has little effect on the circulation and does not restrict breathing as much.
In addition, falling asleep and waking up with Propofol is perceived as very pleasant. A side effect of Propofol is that it can lower blood pressure. It is therefore important to check your blood pressure regularly during short anaesthesia.
Since Propofol does not have an analgesic effect, an analgesic is usually added to the anaesthetic. Patients with previous cardiovascular diseases would be more likely to be given the drug etomidate to induce anesthesia. The advantage of etomidate in these patients is that it has practically no effect on the circulation.
Just like propofol, etomidate does not have an analgesic effect. In addition, etomidate causes pain when injected into the vein, which is why the painkiller should be injected first before etomidate is administered. The opioid remifentanyl is a suitable analgesic for short anaesthesia. It has a good analgesic effect and a short duration of action, which is advantageous for the short duration of the anaesthesia.
Procedure of short anaesthesia
A short anaesthesia is performed by an anaesthetist (anaesthetist). Before the anaesthesia, the patient must be informed about the risks of the anaesthesia and risk factors, such as previous illnesses, must be clarified. Some time before the procedure, a sedative drug can be administered.
In order to administer the medication for the short anaesthesia, the doctor places an access into the vein. The anesthetic and painkiller are then administered through this. After only a short time the patient falls asleep. Now it is important that the anaesthetist ventilates the patient through a mask, as the anaesthetic reduces the respiratory drive. In addition, the vital parameters such as blood pressure and pulse must be checked regularly.
Duration of a short anaesthesia
A short anaesthetic usually lasts from a few minutes to a quarter of an hour. If the procedure is prolonged unplanned, measures must be taken to maintain the anesthesia longer. These include the administration of additional anaesthetics and intubation with a laryngeal mask or a breathing tube.
