How strong of a knockout is general anesthetics ?

[Blastomyces]

Originally posted by: AaronB
This isn't really a practical question but what is the maximum amount of time a patient could be kept "under" without serious side effects.

By under I mean asleep and not remembering a thing. Is there some cumulative side effect that limits the time?

Technically there is no maximum. We can keep patients intubated on sedation in the ICU for weeks a time (which is more or less the same procedure we use in the OR). Eventually there are side effects such as pneumonia from the breathing tube getting infected, low blood pressures from the sedation (which can be corrected), but all in all, we can keep someone alive and in a catatonic state for months and years theoretically. In terms of the OR, there are frequently spine and trauma cases that go 12-20 hours, it's not really that big a deal.

 

[AaronB]

Here is a better question. Do patients who go under for long periods of time feel like that time has passed in any way?

I experienced general anesthesia when I had my wisdom teeth taken out. It was all four and two were impacted so the procedure took ~ an hour.

To my frame of reference the following took place:

They put the gas thing over my face,

I thought, "Hey, this stuff doesn't do anything",

The doc starts asking stupid questions (I assume to gauge my reaction to the gas),

I start slurring after the second question,

They put the needle in my arm,

I wake up with gauze stuffed in my mouth,

No sense of time passing at all.

 

[Auryg]

I have a question aswell

I was put out because I broke my arm horribly bad and they needed to snap it back in to place...this was in the OR though, it wasn't an emergency.

They said I'd be out in a minute or so..and if I remember right, I lasted a good 10 minutes, and wondered why it was taking so long. Whatever they used on me was put in by IV.

So..why did it take so long? Do I have an uber-brain or something? Hehe.

 

[cerebusPu]

<- medical researcher/engineer

Ive had one animal start bucking on me during an operation. kicked the shiit out of my arm while i was holding it down.

for humans, i think general anthesia is great! no pain, time passes quickly, and no memories. heck you could say stupid things, the doc could say stupid things, and no one would remember a thing.

if i ever go under the knife, Im going to remember to say some rude comment to some hot nurse before i pass out. it would be a great chance to do it and not remember it.

 

[mzkhadir]

I was on general anesthesia today, after the guy said we are giving you fresh air, I don't remember a thing. I woke up 30 minutes after the doctor was done.

 

[msparish]

Originally posted by: mzkhadir
I was on general anesthesia today, after the guy said we are giving you fresh air, I don't remember a thing. I woke up 30 minutes after the doctor was done.

Told you it would be good stuff. Get feeling better soon.