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Some Basic Principles On Endoscopic Anesthesia

By Ann Cole


Endoscopy is a procedure that entails placing a tube in the gastrointestinal system to determine whether there is disease and whether it can be treated through the same process. Being an uncomfortable procedure, endoscopy is normally done under anaesthesia. Level of sedation depends on how long it will take to carry out the procedure. Endoscopic anesthesia is vital in successful diagnosis and treatment of given conditions of the gastrointestinal system.

The medical team will be required to ask the potential patient some questions regarding any past illnesses, any drugs they have taken in the recent past and whether have any allergies to medication. Some blood will also be drawn to be investigated for any anomalies. Before the investigations, a good physical examination will be carried out to check the stability of the client.

Vital signs have to be monitored during endoscopy to ensure that any complications that arise are dealt with in time. Monitoring is done with the help of machines connected to the patient. Blood pressure is usually measured using measured using a device that detects pulse rate and respiratory rate at the same time. Pulse oximetry is measured separately using a pulse oximeter placed directly at the finger tips.

Oxygen saturation levels are also monitored using a pulse oximeter usually clipped at the tip of one of the fingers. Ideally, saturation levels should be above ninety six per cent. Oxygen should be given via a face mask to ensure levels remain above the target. Vital signs should also be adjusted accordingly when they become abnormal.

Certain medications are indicated for the anaesthetic to go on smoothly. Ideally, one should not feel any pain and should be as comfortable as possible. The anaesthetic agent should therefore bear analgesic properties. In addition, the process needs to run as smoothly as possible without any muscle spasms interfering. Muscle relaxants therefore come in quite handy at this point. At the end of the day, the patient should not be able to remember what transpired during the operation as this can be traumatizing to their minds. As such, the anaesthetic agent used also has to have amnesic properties.

At the end of the endoscopic process, the patient has to be woken up from sleep using special reversal agents also called antidotes or antagonists. These reversal agents differ depending on the drug used for anaesthesia. For opioids, naloxone is the reversal agent of choice while flumazenil works against benzodiazepines. Reversal is less complicated than when anaesthesia is being administered because very few technicalities are involved.

The recovery room, also known as post anaesthesia care unit(PACU), is the next place to take the client after the procedure. This is a room just adjacent to the main procedure. It is equipped with monitors and healthcare personnel to observe and reassure the patient. Monitoring vital signs is also a priority at this stage. Oxygen is given through a face mask to ensure the individual does not experience difficulty breathing due to anxiety and panic, for instance.

Anaesthesia for endoscopy is indicated particularly for disease occurring along the gastrointestinal system. Depending on severity of the illness, anaesthesia can range from mild sedation to full blown sedation where the patient may not be aware of what is going on. The good thing about endoscopy is that it can be both diagnostic and therapeutic. Examples of diseases handled using endoscopic anaesthesia include oesophageal varices, peptic ulcer disease, upper and lower gastrointestinal malignancy.




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