The Anesthesia in which each drug being selected for one specific purpose and the whole combination providing desirable quantities of unconsciousness, analgesia and muscle relaxation which is most effective and comfortable but minimum disturbance for the patient and the best operation condition for the surgeon is known as Balanced Anesthesia.
Anesthetics are the agents that induce loss of pain and sensation along with loss of reflexes. There are two major types of anesthetics. These are Local Anesthetics, and General Anesthetics.
Local Anesthetics are those agents which used for producing transient and reversible loss of sensation in a circumscribed area (Localized area) without affecting the degree of consciousness. Local anesthetics compete with Ca++ for the binding site at the membrane pores. This causes the displacement of Ca++ and downward influx of Na+. Thus, depolarization rate decreases and after excitation, the cell wall doesn’t depolarize sufficiently to reach the firing level. Because of this, propagated action potentially fails to develop blocks of impulse conduction. Before using Local Anesthetics, you must be sure that it is effective in whichever route is given. It should rapidly set action of the subject. Duration of effect should be sufficient so that the stipulated surgeon can finish the operation. Effect in body pH, price and availability are of priority while choosing right Anesthetics.
Anesthetics should not be painful and cause effects like Necrosis, Sloughing, Damage, and Ulceration of the surrounding tissues. It shouldn’t produce permanent damage to the nerve tissues along with systemic adverse reaction and local reaction after operation. Doses should be given in appropriate amount because, loss of potency by changing of pH of the environment may occur due to wrong doses.“Xylocaine” is nearly an ideal example of Local Anesthetics regarding its safest and most effective performance in surgeries.
In other hand, General Anesthetics are the agents that produce reversible unconsciousness with loss of pain and reflexes along with adequate muscle relaxation. It does not act by any receptors because they are all non-specific drugs and hence they have no antagonist. Inhalation Anesthetics are agents for which transfer across the alveolus serves as the portal of entry into the body. Theses agents can depress the Central Nervous System. Intravenous Anesthetics are most often used for induction of anesthesia before administration of more potent Anesthetic agents. » Read more: Preferable Anesthetics for Balanced Anesthesia
