Many medical manipulations are not without anesthesia. It is necessary in order to relieve pain, prevent a shock condition. After all, the characteristic reaction of the body (increased heart rate, high blood pressure, the production of stress hormones) can significantly affect the patient's condition. Often used sleep medication.
Varieties of anesthesia
There are two main methods of analgesia. Local anesthesia is used to locally reduce pain. In this case, the person remains conscious. This type of anesthesia has the following varieties. Superficial method - drugs are applied to the skin (or mucous membranes), where they are absorbed and begin to act. Very often, this method is used by dentists. Freezing also belongs to this category. Infiltration analgesia is used for some surgical interventions and injuries. The substance is injected into the tissue by injection. Regional anesthesia has several subtypes: it is epidural, conductor, spinal. In this case, the drug is injected into an area that is very close to the nerve trunk or plexus. Using this method, the transmission of a pain impulse is blocked. If an operation is performed on the limbs, then the use of intravascular analgesia is possible. Anesthetic is injected into the vessels of the limbs. General anesthesia inhibits the activity of the central nervous system. Muscles relax, consciousness is disturbed. It can be done either by inhalation or by intravenous injection.
What is drug sleep
Sedation is a promising alternative to deep anesthesia. It is very important that a person is conscious, his reflexes are preserved. For immersion in medical sleep, special sedative drugs are administered intravenously or into the muscle. They contribute to complete relaxation, sedation, as well as pain relief. This type of anesthesia is recommended for people with a low pain threshold, for nervous disorders, for children. The procedure is performed by an anesthetist, who calculates the required dose of the drug. Also, a specialist helps the patient get out of this condition. It is characteristic that the complex can additionally use local anesthesia. The main advantages of falling into sleep with medication are as follows. The drugs that are used do not contain narcotic components and are not addictive. The respiratory center is not depressed. A person comes to consciousness quite quickly - in 5-10 minutes. Thus, if medical sleep is used, the consequences of a negative nature are practically absent.
Sedation levels
There are several degrees of immersion in sleep with the help of medications. The minimum level is characterized by the fact that the patient is awake, in contact with the doctor. In this case, intellectual abilities, coordination of movements are slightly impaired. Moderate depth of sedation is a condition in which a person reacts to words, tactile stimulation. Deep drug sleep is characterized by the absence of patient contact with the doctor. Awakening is possible with rather painful stimulation. In some cases, breathing problems may occur, although hemodynamics remain stable.
What drugs are used for sedation
An ideal drug for medical sleep should have a certain set of qualities. First of all, speed. Also, such a substance should have a minimum of side effects, and consciousness quickly recover after the termination of its introduction. Easy sedation is carried out with the help of "Midazolam". A deeper sleep occurs after the introduction of "Propofol". Sedation is also carried out with a substance such as nitrous oxide. This is gas that is supplied through a special mask. Under its influence, all muscles relax, the patient calms down. In some cases, barbiturates are used, but they have a bad effect on the heart muscle. Constant monitoring of hemodynamics is required. In this regard, their use is limited. A solution of sodium oxybutyrate is often recommended for use in childbirth.
Dental Application
One area where medical sleep is widely used is dentistry. Unlike general anesthesia, which is necessary in certain situations, this type of anesthesia is safer and has several advantages. It is recommended in the presence of allergic reactions to local anesthesia, complex surgical intervention (with an abscess, damage to the jaw, periostitis, etc.). Many people have a panic fear of visiting a dentist. Medical sleep is the only way to carry out all the necessary manipulations in the oral cavity painlessly and with little trauma. Also, this method of pain relief is simply necessary for patients with epilepsy, schizophrenia, and other disorders of the nervous system. It is very important that all teeth can be cured in one visit to a specialist. Also, such anesthesia allows the doctor to work calmly (because the patient is sleeping). The method is so safe and easy that you can even recommend medical sleep to a child. This is especially true if the baby is hyperactive or simply afraid of doctors and their tools.
The use of drug sleep during childbirth
It is worth noting that such anesthesia is not prescribed only at the request of the woman in labor. The obstetrician assesses the situation as a whole and, in the case of a prolonged birth, can recommend the use of medication sleep. This measure is necessary if a woman experiences very severe pain that deprives her of strength. After all, if the pain exhausts the woman in childbirth, then the very process of the child's exit may be disrupted. In this case, the baby will suffer. To temporarily restore strength, the patient is immersed in a light sleep. The drugs that are administered also have an anesthetic effect. It is worth noting that the pain does not go away completely. It only slightly dulls, the contractions continue. Such manipulation is carried out in two stages. During the first, the body is prepared for the introduction of anesthesia (premedication). Used drugs that dull the pain, relaxing. However, they can penetrate the placenta. As a result, a prolonged sleep of the newborn can be observed . The second stage is the introduction of medications for medical sleep directly. During childbirth, sodium oxybutyrate (its 20% solution) is often used. Such a substance is safe, low toxic, does not cause breathing problems in a child. Many women in labor report a relief in the course of childbirth when using such anesthesia.
Resuscitation anesthesia
In severe traumatic brain injuries and other similar conditions, medical sleep in intensive care can also be used. However, in this case, it lasts several days (1-3 or more). An undoubted advantage of this with such an application is a decrease in high intracranial pressure, while the brain is resting. During sedation, specialists develop further treatment tactics. Also, this method is sometimes used if the patient is in a serious condition, and specialists do not know how to treat him. However, like any anesthesia, this method has its drawbacks and contraindications. Reviews say that prolonged use of such drugs can have negative consequences for the central nervous system.
Possible effects of anesthesia
The introduction of any medication into the body can cause allergic reactions. Although drug sleep reviews are positive, dizziness, nausea and vomiting can sometimes be observed. Contraindications to the use of this type of anesthesia can be chronic diseases, especially during their exacerbation. It is worth noting that often in a state of sleep, such procedures as gastroscopy and colonoscopy are also performed. Many doctors recommend performing a general blood test, cardiogram and fluorography before performing the manipulations. Thus, they insure themselves against all kinds of risks, are convinced that during the procedure there will be no problems with breathing, heart. If medical sleep was used, after the operation and other manipulations the patient easily comes to his senses. And in order to minimize all the negative consequences, it is first necessary to inform the doctor about a possible allergy, alleged pregnancy, taking medications.