Anaesthesia and PAC What is Anaesthesia? The word “anaesthesia” means “loss of sensation”.  Anaesthesia can range from the loss of sensation in a small body part like a finger after injecting a local anaesthetic, to the lower half of the body after an injection given in the back, to sedation after some drugs injected into the body to the complete unconsciousness that is a part of general anaesthesia. Anaesthetic drugs stop the brain from responding to sensory messages travelling from the nerves in the body. Local anaesthetic (LA) drugs make parts of the body “numb” by...

Anaesthesia: What, Who, Why and How What is General Anaesthesia? General anaesthesia is a state of controlled unconsciousness achieved through medicines that are administered by an anaesthesiologist through a mask or an IV cannula placed in the vein. A general anaesthetic is required for most major operations involving the heart, lungs, or in the abdomen, brain or major arteries and transplants. There are two ways to induce general anaesthesia: Via an IV cannula- Anaesthetic drugs are injected through the IV cannula. Via a mask: you are given anaesthetic drugs through a...

Undergoing Epidural Anesthesia and Analgesia This article explains what to expect if you choose to have an epidural for pain relief during and after your operation.   What is an Epidural? And what is epidural analgesia? An epidural is a fine, flexible tube (catheter) placed in the back near the nerves coming from the spinal cord, through which pain-killing drugs can be given to give pain relief. It is used during surgery (usually in addition to a general anesthetic or a spinal anesthetic) and after the operation for pain control. When local anesthetics and sometimes other...

Undergoing Spinal Anaesthesia Spinal Anaesthesia (SA), Spinal Anaesthetic, Subarachnoid Block (SAB) is the most common type of regional anaesthesia in modern anaesthetic practice. This anaesthetic technique makes the lower part of the body- the abdomen, hips and lower limbs, numb. The local anaesthetic medicine is injected, into your lower back (between the bones of your spine) using a very thin needle, directly into the cerebrospinal fluid that surrounds the spinal cord. This numbs the nerves that come in contact with the medicine and the lower part of your abdomen, pelvis and both legs...

Anaesthetic Risk Risk refers to the likelihood of harm resulting from a hazard. It is the probability of an event within a population during a specified period of time. Risk is an inherent part of life such as crossing a road, swimming in the society’s pool or even eating some things. In medical treatment, this event is generally a negative outcome like injury or death. Undergoing Surgery under Anaesthesia Like all medical treatments, surgery and anaesthesia have some risk associated with them. This risk is influenced by a variety of factors that may be related to the surgery...

Fasting Before and After Surgery Nil per oral (NPO) or Nil by mouth (NBM) is an order in which patients are not allowed to take liquids or solids through the mouth. When is this order given? Before and after Pre-procedure e.g. colonoscopy, USG Whole abdomen, CT abdomen Why do I have to stop eating and drinking before my surgery? Sometimes during anaesthesia and surgery, the stomach contents travel the wrong way up the food pipe and enter the lungs through the wind pipe. This is called “pulmonary aspiration”. It is a very dangerous condition and can be a risk to life. So,...