Autonomic dysreflexia is an acute syndrome that frequently occurs in spinal cord injury (SCI) patients with a level usually above T6. It is characterized by excessive unmodulated sympathetic outflow in response to noxious stimuli below the spinal cord level. This can lead to dangerous elevations of blood pressure with disastrous clinical sequelae. Pathophysiology of Autonomic […]
Malignant hyperthermia (MH) is a hypermetabolic disorder of skeletal muscle that is triggered in susceptible individuals by several inhalation anesthetic agents (sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, halothane, enflurane, and methoxyflurane) and succinylcholine. These anesthetic triggers cause intracellular hypercalcemia in skeletal muscle by decreasing the uptake of calcium by the sarcoplasmic reticulum. The intracellular hypercalcemia activates metabolic pathways
Neuroleptic malignant syndrome (NMS) is a clinical syndrome consisting of four primary features: rigidity, altered mental status, hyperthermia, and autonomic instability. It occurs in the setting of the use of dopamine-blocking agents or the withdrawal of dopamine-enhancing medications. Neuroleptic malignant syndrome Epidemiology Incidence of Neuroleptic malignant syndrome is estimated at 0.1% to 2%. There is
Trichloroethylene Trichloroethylene is also called as Trilene. It is an inhalational anesthetic gas, which was widely used until recently. It is still used in some developing countries because of its cheap cost compared to the other halogenated inhalational anesthetics. Trichloroethylene Physical Properties • It is colorless liquid. • Odor is sweet. • Mildly irritant. •
Enflurane is not a very commonly used agent in the developing counties although its usage is on in America. It is a newer inhalational agent like that of halothane. Enflurane is halogenated ether. Enflurane Physical Properties : It is a Colorless gas. It has ethereal odor. It is Non inflammable at clinical concentration but inflammable
What is Chloroform Chloroform is a very toxic compound, which was used in the past as an anesthetic agent. Chloroform use in anesthesia is only of historical value, although it still has some applications outside the medical practice. It was available as a liquid in bottles that would be poured on to a cloth and
Cyclopropane is an anesthetic inhalational agent. It is a liquid agent stored in orange colored cylinders at 75 psi and delivered as gas. Among other halogenated inhalational agents used in anesthesia, Cyclopropane is one which is stored in cylinders at room temperature. Some of the important properties and characteristics of it are discussed below. • It is
Methoxyflurane even though being the most potent anesthetic gas to be discovered till now, its use can been restricted due to the different complications that can arise from its usage. Below is a brief discussion on this inhalational agent. Physical Properties of Methoxyflurane • It has sweet odor. • It is non irritant. • It
Ether effects all the systems of the body. A brief account is given below. Ether effects on Cardiovascular system: It does not depress myocardium rather it stimulates sympathetic system causing tachycardia and hypertension. Baroreceptor reflex is preserved with ether so ether can be used safely in patients with shock. Respiratory system: It does not depress respiration rather
Ether is still very rarely used in many Developing countries like India. First public demonstration of ether was given by W.T.G. Morton on I6th October 1846 for the removal of jaw tumor. Physical Properties of Ether : • It is pungent smelling liquid decomposes in presence of light, air and heat so stored in amber
