Anesthetics, Spinal, Epidural

Posted on Posted in Brain, Drugs, Hospital, Pain, Surgery

Anesthetics, Spinal, Epidural

Spinal and epidural anesthetics

Anesthesia causes the loss of sensation. Under general anesthesia, the patient cannot perceive pain and is unconscious. The drugs can be injected into the bloodstream or inhaled.

Regional anesthetics bring numbness to a limited area. With two such anesthetics, spinal and epidural, numbness results from the injection site down. Epidural anesthetics are injected into the epidural space. Spinal anesthetics are injected into the subarachnoid space.

A routine hip replacement usually takes 1 to 3 hours, which is well within the time frame for either a regional or general.

LABELS:
Central nervous system (brain and spinal cord)
Peripheral nervous system
Area made numb
Vertebra
Epidural space
Spinal cord
Needle
Subarachnoid space

Text and illustrations by Kevin T. Boyd

Acupressure can help relieve pain
For a list of acupressure points, visit PointFinder.org. Click or touch the painful area.
If this is your first time, please read the instructions. Don’t use acupressure to replace standard emergency procedures or licensed medical treatment. If you are seriously injured or have acute symptoms seek urgent medical treatment.