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Many people have experienced anesthesia and describe it as 'a nice nap'. However, anesthesia is not a sleeping state, starting with the fact that while sleeping you can move, and when under anesthesia you can't.
Anesthetic drugs act mainly on the nervous system, blocking pain and consciousness.
Pain travels through the nervous system as electrical impulses, meaning that if this transmission is blocked, the brain won't react to the stimuli. This is how these drugs work: by blocking pain signals from a specific part of the body - regional electrical barricade - or blocking the entire nervous system, including the brain and even some vital organs when needed.
Since neurons are responsible for signal transmission, anesthetic drugs will bind to the cell membrane proteins of these cells and interrupt the influx of positively charged particles. Consequently, neurons won't be able to pass along information, and no signal of 'pain' will arrive in the brain.
Anesthesia effects include the inability to feel pain, move, or form memories, as well as unconsciousness.
There are four types of anesthesia:
General anesthesia - open-heart surgery, knee replacement, lung transplant
IV/Monitor sedation - dental surgery, bronchoscopy/colonoscopy, setting fractures
Regional anesthesia - arm surgery
Local anesthesia - stitches
Back in the days, when there were no synthetic drugs, people used the effects of certain plants and alcohol, like the opium poppy, mandrake fruit, and hemlock.
Nowadays, commonly used drugs include propofol for unconsciousness and fentanyl (an opioid) to reduce pain. These drugs interfere with the normal 'chaotic' brain network, calming it down and thus reducing the intercommunication between different parts of the brain.
Inhalation anesthetics such as nitrous oxide and ether derivatives (sevoflurane) are usually supplemented with intravenous anesthesia, which was developed in the 1870s.
The magic of anesthesia is the drug cocktail. Patient's vital signs are constantly monitored, and the drug mixtures can be adjusted during that time.
Did you know?
Some local anesthetic drugs' chemical forms are similar to cocaine.
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Team Let's Biologue
References
Hernæs, N. (2019, August 27). Oksygenkolbe gikk tom – pasienten døde. Sykepleien. https://sykepleien.no/2019/08/oksygenkolbe-gikk-tom-pasienten-dode
Cell Membrane. Mr. E IB. Obtained 30 July 2023, de https://mreib.weebly.com/cell-membrane.html
Figueiredo, M. (2018, May 17). Parkinson’s Researchers Find Toxic Alfa-synuclein Affects Memory Cells. Parkinson’s News Today. https://parkinsonsnewstoday.com/news/parkinsons-researchers-find-toxic-alpha-synuclein-affects-memory-cells/
Sistemul nervos: informaţii generale - Doftoria.ro. (2018, November 21). Doftoria.ro. https://doftoria.ro/sistemul-nervos/
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2016). Water hemlock. In Encyclopedia Britannica.
Mandrake facts and health benefits. (2021, March 3). Health Benefits | Health Benefits of Foods and Drinks. https://www.healthbenefitstimes.com/mandrake/
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