General Anesthesia FREE

General anesthesia is unconsciousness produced by medications. This allows for surgery and other treatments that would otherwise be too painful or difficult to tolerate. During general anesthesia, a person is unconscious but is not in a natural state of sleep. In the United States, anesthesia is provided by anesthesiologists (medical doctors with specialized education in the evaluation and care of patients before, during, and after surgery, including pain management), certified registered nurse anesthetists (nurses with additional education in the administration of anesthesia), and anesthesiologist assistants (who are educated to administer anesthesia under the direction of an anesthesiologist).

Some of the most common medications used to provide general anesthesia are

A common side effect of general anesthesia is nausea and vomiting after surgery. Some people may also have a sore throat and very occasionally damage to teeth, lips, gums, or vocal cords from insertion of breathing tubes and airway devices. Less common and more serious complications include malignant hyperthermia (a rare inherited muscle disease, which can be triggered by some anesthetic medications), heart attack, stroke, or death; these are more likely in patients who have heart problems, high blood pressure, diabetes, kidney disease, or lung diseases. Very rarely, persons may become aware of events when they are thought to be unconscious from general anesthesia; this is more likely during emergency surgery if the patient is in shock, during open heart surgery with the heart bypass machine, or because of medication error or malfunction of the anesthesia equipment.

To find this and previous JAMA Patient Pages, go to the Patient Page Index on JAMA's Web site at http://www.jama.com. Many are available in English and Spanish.

Sources: American Society of Anesthesiologists, Anesthesia Patient Safety Foundation, Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States, American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, American Academy of Anesthesiologist Assistants

The JAMA Patient Page is a public service of JAMA. The information and recommendations appearing on this page are appropriate in most instances, but they are not a substitute for medical diagnosis. For specific information concerning your personal medical condition, JAMA suggests that you consult your physician. This page may be photocopied noncommercially by physicians and other health care professionals to share with patients. To purchase bulk reprints, call 312/464-0776.

TOPIC: ANESTHESIOLOGY