Possible side effects and complications of anesthetic drugs: procedure, safety, side effects, and benefits

Depending on the size of the medical procedure you need, the doctor will usually inject an anesthetic to numb pain in your body during surgery or surgery. Anesthesia can make a patient immune from aches and pains for a while, but it does not mean that anesthetics are free of risk of side effects and complications after the anesthetic subsides.

What is an anesthetic medicine?

The term anesthesia comes from the Greek word for loss of sensation. Anesthesia is a pre-operative medical procedure that aims to reduce pain that may be caused during the procedure by blocking taste signals going to the brain that make a person alert / wake up or feel something.

While under the anesthetic, you may become calmer, feel no pain, or fall asleep forcibly. Anesthesia is also useful for regulating breathing rate, blood pressure and flow as well as heart rate and rhythm. When the effects of anesthesia wear off, nerve signals will return to the brain so that the consciousness and sensations experienced by the body return to normal.

The side effects of anesthetics can start to appear when the effects of the anesthesia wear off. There are many factors that can trigger an increase in a person's risk of experiencing side effects and the effects of anesthesia, such as the level of health and fitness, as well as diet and lifestyle. The risk of side effects caused can also differ from one another, depending on the type of anesthetic drug received by the patient.

Side effects of general anesthesia

General anesthesia is also known as general anesthesia. This is a type of anesthetic drug that causes the patient to be completely unconscious so that they will not feel pain during surgery. The effect of this drug affects the work of the brain and all other parts of the body.

General anesthesia is carried out by injecting anesthetic liquid into a vein or by using an anesthetic gas flow through the installation of a special mask. This type of anesthesia is used for major operations taking into account the safety and comfort of the patient.

There are several side effects that can be caused by general anesthesia, including:

Allergic reaction to anesthetic drugs
Nausea and vomiting
Tooth decay
Decrease in body temperature to hypothermia
Headache
Back pain
Respiratory system malfunction
Awakened in the middle of the operation process

Impact of specific complications that can arise from general anesthesia:

Respiratory tract infection - can range from infection of the larynx, sore throat to pneumonia. This is because decreased consciousness can cause the respiratory tract to be delayed. Especially if the effects of anesthesia make the patient nauseous and vomiting and vomiting fluid does not have time to be excreted, it can cause inflammation and infection in the respiratory tract to the lungs. However, this can be overcome by fasting or limiting intake a few hours before surgery, doctors can also give drugs with the substance metoclopramide to help empty the stomach and ranitidine to increase the pH level of the stomach.
Peripheral nerve damage - is the type of impact that other types of anesthesia can experience; regional and local anesthesia. This can occur due to the operation process or the body position that is fixed and does not move for a long time. The parts of the body most commonly affected are the upper arms and the legs around the knees. Nerve damage can be prevented and minimized by avoiding extreme positions of the patient's body and blocking blood flow during surgery.
Embolism - is an obstacle to blood flow due to the presence of foreign objects in the blood vessels, including blood and air clots. Emboli caused by angina are more likely to be involved in nervous system surgery and surgery around the pelvic bones. The risk of this can be minimized by giving prophylaxis thromboembolic deterrents (TEDS) and low molecular weight heparin (LMWH).
Dead - is the most serious type of complication although the chances of it occurring are very small. Death due to general anesthesia is something that is influenced by many factors, ranging from the type of surgery, the patient's health level and comorbidities or other conditions that can endanger the operation process.

Side effects of regional anesthesia

Regional anesthesia is a type of anesthetic drug that focuses on nerve action by blocking motor, sensory and autonomic nerves. Regional anesthesia is performed targeting the spinal cord or cerebrospinal fluid. Regional anesthesia has a lower risk of death than general anesthesia, but has a risk of damage to the respiratory system.

Side effects that can be caused by regional anesthesia:

Pain and headaches
Hypotension
Decrease in body temperature to hypothermia
Bleeding
Anesthetic poisoning
Allergic reactions
Spinal infection
Infection of the brain sheath (meningitis)
Respiratory system malfunction

The following are some of the effects of specific complications that can be caused by regional anesthesia

Total spinal block - is a term for blocking peripheral nerve cells caused by an overdose of an anesthetic substance used on the spine. This causes a paralysis effect on the muscles. Nerve blockage can also lead to respiratory system failure while the patient is unconscious. To overcome respiratory problems, additional measures may be required to create respiratory tracts and ventilation.
Hypotension - The drop in blood pressure is the result of blocking sympathetic nerve function. This can be overcome by increasing the pressure on the blood vessels with additional fluids, but this requires paying attention to the patient's cardiac medical history.
Neurological deficits - is a decrease in the function of some of the nerves in the spine which can be temporary or permanent. The main cause is damage to the spinal cord which results in decreased work of sensory nerves and decreased motor skills of the body.

Side effects of local anesthetics

A local anesthetic is a type of anesthetic drug used for minor surgery that involves only a small part of the surface area of the body. A local anesthetic numbs a small part of the body by injecting an anesthetic drug into the area to be operated on to relieve pain. The patient will remain awake when under local anesthesia.

Unlike general and regional anesthesia, this type of anesthesia does not have complications, but it is still possible to cause various side effects, namely: