Main difference between local and general anesthesia
Loss of consciousness with general anesthesia
Balanced anesthesia?
In addition to general anesthesia you also need to use opioids or NSAIDs
Balanced anesthesia provides (6)
(You must use multiple different drugs to obtain all of these effects)

Why are neuromuscular blockers used in general anesthesia?

2 routes of administration of general anesthetics
Inhaled anesthetics are typically _______ (3)
Volatile, halogenated hydrocarbons
(except for nitrous oxide)
IV anesthetics usually consist of ______.
chemically unrelated drugs used to rapidly induce anesthesia
Adjunct agents used as pre-anesthetic medications (7)
Why are anticholinergics used in anesthesia?
prevent bradycardia & secretion of fluids into the respiratory tract
What is the ideal stage of anesthesia for surgery?
Stage 3
(stage four risks death)

Three phases of anesthesia required for surgery
What does recovery from general anesthesia depend on?
(recovery from inhalation drugs depends on respiration)
3 general mechanisms of action for general anesthetic

Advantages of inhalation and anesthetics (3)
Factors influencing rate of induction of gen. anesthesia (6)
(high blood gas solubility = slower rate of induction/recovery)

Rate of equilibrium of inhalation and anesthetics depends on ____
Blood/gas partition coefficient: ratio of anesthetic concentration in blood/alveolar space when partial pressures are equal
(Low blood/gas partition coefficient = higher rate of induction)

Low blood solubility = ______ rate of induction
fast
(high blood solubility = slow rate of induction)

Molecules with a higher λ (oil/gas) are _____ (more/less) potent.
more
(lipid-solubility increases potency)

High minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) = _____ (high/low) potency.
low
(High MAC = low potency)
The more lipid soluble the _____ (lower/higher) concentration needed and the ______ (lower/higher) the potency.
Factors that increase MAC (patient less sensitive) (3)
Factors that decrease MAC (6)
Higher cardiac output removes anesthetic from the alveoli faster and slows the rate _____.
of rise in alveolar concentration of gas (takes longer for the gas to reach eq. between the alveoli & brain)
(higher cardiac output slows the rate of induction)
Why does nitrous oxide equilibriate rapidly
Insoluble in blood and other tissues
(this serves to concentrate co-administered halogenated anesthetics → second gas effect)