How is general anaesthetic applied and how long does it take to work?

Question

Is it usually an injection or gas? How fast does it work considering that i dont sleep well and how long are you likely to be asleep for?

Answer 1

The most common procedure is to inject a small amount of a fast-acting drug such as pentothal. The old saw about "Now start counting backwards from ten!" illustrates how effective this is when people rarely get to seven...
As soon as that happens, the anesthetist usually inserts a plastic tube into the patient's airway and inflates a small balloon near the tip of the tube that seals the patient's airway, and then he or she begins to administer a gaseous agent. Those agents are very safe and very effective. The tube, called an "endotracheal" tube, is attached to an anesthesia machine that can perform several functions, amongst them providing artificial respirations for the patient in case the anesthetist has to administer anesthesia sufficient to paralyze the patient's own ability to breathe. A patient can be safely kept under general anesthesia for hours this way. As the operative procedure nears completion, the anesthetist will begin to wean the patient off the gas and allow him or her to begin to "wake up", finally shutting the gas off entirely as the surgeon finishes. The machine is disconnected and the patient is wheeled to the recovery room, where he or she is monitored very closely as he or she wakes up enough that the endotrachial tube can be removed and the patient can be returned to his or her own room. The length of time one is kept "knocked out" depends on how much time is needed for the operative procedure.
Note: it's not the surgeon who is in charge of the operating room during surgery- it's the anesthetist!

Answer 2

It is administered through a luer that is placed into a vein in your hand. The anaesthetic will be effective with in seconds, you will feel a cold tingling feeling as it travels up your arm and the next thing you will remember is waking up in the recovery room after your surgery. During the surgery the anaesthetic will be maintained through a endotraceal tube or a laryngeal mask airway (LMA) which is inserted into your upper airway with a lyringascope. You will be fully monitored by a doctor all the time. You will definitely go to sleep within seconds and you will wake up as the anaesthetic wears off.

Answer 3

it's injection usually and is put into something (don't know the name) in the back of your hand and it takes only a few seconds and you're out like a light. it has nothing to do with sleep you will be knocked out and it's not something you can fight. they keep you under for however long they want to, it depends on your procedure and how much anaesthetic they administer. they are in control in that area. good luck.
i've had it twice, took 2 seconds first time and second time i asked when they were putting me under, and the procedure had already taken place! i don't sleep well either, so it's not related, don't worry.

Answer 4

You will be given an oxygen mask and they want you to take plenty of deep breaths while they work around you putting cannula's in etc. They will give you the anaesthesia in the back of your hand through a cannula (which doesn't hurt ) - I had it done last month and was fine. Depending on what you are having done the anaesthetist usually gives something to neutralise it while they are sewing ou up and you will be taken into recovery. As long as you answer then nurses in recovery they will let you nod off again. If you don't sleep well then you will probably be like me, first words out of my mouth, where are my glasses, and can I have a cup of coffee? lol:-D

Answer 5

It's scary. Our son was put under general anesthetic for a minor surgery at 8 months - but remember, there are millions of successful surgeries on babies every year and only a very small handful that go wrong. You don't hear about the millions that go right because they aren't written up in the news - you only hear about the rare cases when it goes wrong. Your baby will be fine. If you need reassurance, just ask the doctor and anesthesiologist any questions you may have.

Answer 6

A general anesthetic is either an injection or gas.
Usually it would be something like Novocaine, sensocaine, or lidocaine for injections into the wound, for something like tooth extraction or stitches, maybe ever a shoulder dislocation.
Then there are other injections that are given to place you in a deep sleep that are considered to be local anesthetics, like phenobarbital, fentnyl, versaid and others.
The gases used my be NOS or laughing gas, or other gases, in each case the medication is based on your weight on the time in which they need you to stay sedated or pain free.
Usually if you receive an injection it takes less then 10 second to go to sleep.

Answer 7

It's actually a gas, usually, and it depends on the amount. Usually it takes a few minutes to work into your system. They also sometimes put it into an IV to go directly into your system. It can last for a few minutes to many hours.

LOCAL is usually an injection and takes a few seconds to numb the area.

Answer 8

Usually injection & in a matter of seconds to start to work. You're asleep for as long as they need you to be as the anaesthetic can be topped up

Answer 9

Generally its put into the body by way of a vent inserted into the main vein in the back of your hand (that actually hurts worse than anything else!) Once you start counting from that, you feel coldness going into the hand and thats it - you are gone!!! You will sleep as long as they need you to - the anesethetict just tops up when needed via the vent.

Answer 10

I will never undergo this, as a friend of a friend suffered a coronary and died while having collar bone surgery, even though he was given full clearance to undergo the procedure. I have been living with a non-union collar bone for almost a year now.