Lifting the Fog Around Anesthesia
http://www.general-anaesthesia.com/anesthesia.pdf
Summary
Anesthesia is commonly used to sedate patients in surgery. Some patients actually remember things from the surgery, showing that consciousness during surgery can happen. Anesthesia can be deadly, but the mortality rate is only one patient in 13,000 now. Researchers are trying to find out more about how anesthesia affects humans so that they can reduce the risk of consciousness during surgery. They have found that one neurotransmitter in particular was able to block neural communication. This neurotransmitter, gammaaminobutyric (GABA), has been the focus of many studies. GABAA receptors, which receive the GABA neurotransmitters, are not all structurally the same. Scientists believe these structural differences are one cause for different reactions to anesthetic drugs. If researchers can figure out how the different types of GABAA receptors react to different anesthetic drugs, they can figure out how a certain drug will affect a certain area of the brain. It may also be possible to discover whether or not a patient is at risk for waking up during surgery based on the receptors in certain areas of their brain. The hippocampus and thalamus areas of the brain have large numbers of extrasynaptic receptors, which researchers believe to be responsible for the memory effects of anesthesia. Researchers now think that it is possible to target a particular receptor in order to spare or block memory formation. If researchers can figure out which receptors to target and how to target them they may be able to eliminate the risk of the patient waking up during surgery. There is still a large amount of research going on and many possibilities for the future of anesthesia care.
Response
I think it’s great that researchers are looking for ways to make anesthesia safer and more adaptable to each individual. While it might be relatively safe to take anesthetic drugs when going into the operating room, it can still be scary. I think the more assurances they can find and the more they know about anesthesia and its affects the better. It would make it much easier for the patient going into the operating room and their loved ones in the waiting room.
posted by Alexandra S @ 6:25 PM
3 Comments:
I can't imagine a more terrifying thing than waking up in the middle of your own surgery. I agree that it's great for scientists to be searching for the reason why some people react differently to anesthia. Everyone is very different so it is logical that everyone would reacct differently to the drug. Keep up the good work, doctors! we're depending on you.
I agree completely that waking up during surgery would be horrifying. The more research that scientists accomplish about the science of artificial unconsciousness, the less risk for the patient and the less worry for his family. But considering that how complex the brain is, this could be a greater undertaking than it seems.
It would be great if they could establish a new drug to keep you from waking up...I always wondered what that would be like. But anyway, the brain is so complex and just the fact that its possible to develop something like this is amazing! I hope they can develop something safe and useful!
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