2006-11-04 18:09:16 · 4 answers · asked by Link 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Medicine
The difference between general and local anaesthisia is in the amount of nerve cells or percentage of you nervous system that gets blocked. General anaesthesia knocks you out at the level of your central nervous system, while local anaethesia only interrupts signaling from a particular area. There is also a difference in how they are delivered. General anaesthesia is applied to the whole body through inhalation or a line into the blood stream. Local anaesthesia is injected at a particular site.
2006-11-04 18:46:18 · answer #1 · answered by dmowen03 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
A local anaesthetic will cause a certain part of the body to become numb. For example, if you were about to have a tooth extraction, then you'd be given an injection of local anaesthetic in the gum to make your mouth and gums go numb. Another example: when an emergency cesarean is required, a local anaesthetic is used to numb the lower part of the mother's body (and general is not used here otherwise it might affect the baby). A general anaesthetic is used to put the patient "to sleep" so that they are effectively unconscious and do not feel pain. This is often used for major surgical operations, such as heart surgery.
2016-05-22 00:31:03 · answer #2 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
General anaesthetics knock you completely out, while a local justs numbs a specific area.
2006-11-04 18:10:55 · answer #3 · answered by CyberCop 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Anaesthetics usually numb an area where a procedure will take place. Anesthesia puts you all the way under.
2006-11-04 18:13:42 · answer #4 · answered by Night Wind 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋