analgesia for general anaesthesia
Last reviewed 01/2018
Analgesia has a key role in general anaesthesia:
- pre-operatively:
- to reduce apprehension
- to relieve pain and discomfort
- to provide amnesia in some cases
- peri-operatively:
- to obtund the body's response to surgical tissue damage, e.g. lacrimation, hypertension, tachycardia
- to enhance the effect of general anaesthetics; reduction of the minimum alveolar concentration required
- to prevent the "awareness" of nocioceptive stimuli associated with unconsciousness
- to decrease the need for post-operative analgesia
Non-steroidal agents can be used, but more commonly opioids are given for induction and maintenance.