Inhalation anesthetics are the chemicals and compounds that are used in order to put someone under for surgery or for any other purpose. These are the compounds that a person or animal is given to induce unconsciousness. Most of the time, this is done for a medical procedure, or some other procedure that requires that the patient not be able to be conscious and therefore not feel what is going on. However, the inhalation anesthetics do more than simply put a person to sleep.
When a person is simply sleeping, there are able to feel pain, hear things, and have a start response that will allow them to wake up when their brain deems that it is necessary for them to do so. The inhalation anesthetics actually work to make sure that this doesn't happen. Being put under is not the same thing as being put to sleep. In sleep, you will wake up if someone shouts your name, or if you are hurt. However, with inhalation anesthetics, you will not wake up until it has worn off and you are able to do so.
What Are They Made Up Of?
Inhalation anesthetics are gases or vapors. These gases and vapors possess anesthetic qualities, which are the qualities that allow a person or animal to not be aware of anything around them or that is happening to their own body. The Volatile Anesthetics are the main group of inhalation anesthetics. They include Halothane, Isoflurane, Sevoflurane and Desflurane. These compounds are mixed together with gases such as Ethylene, Nitrous Oxide, and Xenon. It is only by mixing the compounds with the gases that the inhalation anesthetics are made.
How Are They Mixed?
When the inhalation anesthetics are mixed, they are a mixture of the compound and the gas. This combination is mixed together, usually using inert oils, in order to create a vapor that is breathable. Once the compound is mixed together, it is stored. Then, it is administered for surgeries.
Administration
When the inhalation anesthetics are administered, they first must be mixed according to the size and weight of the patient who is going to receive them. This is a very important step in the process, because if you fail to mix the inhalation anesthetics correctly, a person could either not be put out enough, which would mean that they would be able to wake up on the operating table, or they could be put out too far, which could result in breathing problems, coma, or even death . Therefore, it is very important that you weight and measure the person who is to receive the inhalation anesthetics very carefully, and that you follow the formulas exactly in order to make sure that you are administering the exact correct dosage of the anesthetics.
When the inhalation anesthetics are given, the person is usually under in a matter of a few seconds. The mixture of the anesthetics will give an exact idea of how long the drugs will last for. Therefore, you also need to pay very close attention to the amount of anesthetics that a person has had, and how long the surgery is going to last. It is often the case that a person must be given additional inhalation anesthetics in order to stay under for the length of a surgery.
When the time limit has gone past, the person will gradually wake up from the inhalation anesthetics. Of course, the patient should be monitored the entire time they are under, and should be monitored as they are waking up. Most of the time, there are no side effects or lasting effects what so ever to the inhalation anesthetics.
Other Uses
Although most of the time the inhalation anesthetics are used in order to put someone to sleep for a surgical procedure, they are also used in other ways. At time, for outpatient surgeries or dental procedures, a patient is given a small dose of inhalation anesthetics. These will cause an all-over numbing sensation, as well as a general detachment, or "high" feeling. This is often done in order to calm someone for an out patient procedure, or to make sure that they don’t feel too much anxiety or pain during a procedure, even if they aren't being put all the way under.
No matter what the reason you are using inhalation anesthetics, you must be sure that you are always following all of the regulations for the particular types that you are using. Even a small mistake in dosage can cause very serious complications. Therefore, it is best to either learn to be a professional yourself, or to leave the anesthetics to the professionals.
Stephanie Larkin is a freelance writer who writes about issues and topics pertaining to the use of chemicals such as Fluorochemicals | Anesthetics