What are the precautions for general anesthesia surgery?

During some surgeries, the body may be given general anesthesia. This is because the pain of the surgery is unbearable for the patient and general anesthesia is required. There are actually some precautions when performing general anesthesia. For example, after general anesthesia, the body's breathing may experience respiratory obstruction, retroglossia, laryngeal spasm, etc.

During general anesthesia, certain complications may occur due to the effects of anesthetic drugs, direct surgical trauma, hyperreflexia of nerve reflexes, and the patient's original pathophysiological characteristics. After the surgery, the effects of anesthesia do not end. Even if the patient is awake, the effects of the medicine may not be completely eliminated, and the protective reflexes may not return to normal. If the patient is not aware of this, "accidents" are inevitable. If the possibility of complications is not taken into consideration during anesthesia, or if there is a lack of experience or knowledge, there will be no preventive measures against complications. Complications are not only likely to occur, but may even lead to accidents.

1. Complications of the suction system

Airway obstruction

Causes: 1. Mechanical: tongue prolapse, secretions; Functional: laryngeal spasm, bronchospasm.

Treatment: Tongue prolapse can be relieved by having the patient tilt his head back, open his mouth, and support his jaw. Laryngospasm and bronchospasm should be treated with oxygen or pressurized oxygen. In severe cases, succinylcholine should be given and endotracheal intubation should be performed.

Tongue fall

Cause: During general anesthesia or coma, the tongue falls due to gravity and sticks to the posterior wall of the pharynx, causing difficulty in breathing and snoring. In severe cases, it can lead to complete obstruction of the airway.

Treatment method: Lift your lower jaw to solve the problem.

Laryngeal spasm: Spasm of the laryngeal muscles causes the glottis to close, resulting in functional obstruction of the upper airway.

Causes: Light anesthesia, hypoxia, irritation of the laryngeal or distant sensitive areas.

Treatment: Mild: deepen anesthesia, eliminate local irritation, and provide oxygen inhalation. Moderate: In addition to the above methods, pressurized oxygen inhalation is required.

Severe: Rapidly inject succinylcholine and perform endotracheal intubation. Cricothyroidotomy can also be performed as a last resort.

Lower airway obstruction: obstruction below the glottis.

Cause: The most common cause is aspiration of foreign bodies that cause tracheal or bronchial obstruction.

Treatment: Aspirate or remove the obstruction as much as possible. If this is not possible, the patient has to be kept in place by using body positioning, or by inserting a double-lumen endobronchial tube to isolate the patient and protect the healthy lung from damage.