It involves the administration of potent medications necessary for a given procedure or surgery. During the aforementioned anesthesia, painkillers are used, which can cause loss of consciousness and amnesia, as well as those that cause skeletal muscle paralysis and require the use of a respirator—a specialized device that replaces the patient's own breathing. Of course, the effects of all medications are reversible. Upon arrival at the operating theater, preparatory procedures begin (positioning the patient on the operating table, inserting a venipuncture line, etc.), followed by the administration of anesthetic medications. The doctor begins anesthesia by administering oxygen through a mask, followed by intravenous or inhaled medications, which cause the patient to fall asleep and experience relaxation.
Intubation complications:
-
mechanical damage to the teeth, tongue, temporomandibular joint, pharynx, larynx, trachea, nasal mucosa, cornea, esophagus, cervical spinal cord.
-
aspiration (choke-up) of gastric contents into the respiratory tract with possible severe, life-threatening pneumonia.
-
esophageal intubation.
-
reflex reactions in the form of fluctuations in blood pressure, cardiac arrhythmias, laryngeal or bronchial spasm.
-
obstruction of the endotracheal tube caused by a foreign body, the presence of blood or thick secretions in the respiratory tract, hernia of the endotracheal tube sealing cuff.
Unusual and allergic reactions to medications and medical agents:
-
reactions on the skin and mucous membranes (hives, rash, itching, swelling, hoarseness)
-
reactions from the circulatory and respiratory systems (shortness of breath, laryngeal or bronchial spasm, apnea, shock and cardiac arrest)
-
malignant hyperthermia (a condition of elevated body temperature)