“What could be the symptoms of an anesthesia overdose? Is it possible?”
During surgery how would the surgeon know if the dose of anesthesia is sufficient or more than what the body can take? What happens?
12 Answers
The surgeon would not be acutely aware which is why an anesthesiologist and/or CRNA are present throughout the procedure to administer, monitor and intervene if need be with critical care.
The surgeon would have no idea. Ask your anesthesiologist. If you don't have access to an anesthesiologist, only a nurse anesthetist, go somewhere where a doctor is in charge of your anesthesia
First of all the anesthesiologist is in control of the anesthetic. We have sophisticated monitors that give us minute to minute information about the level of anesthesia. We are well trained for 4 yesrs after medical school. Overdose is possible but short lived with vigilant monitoring. Anesthesia is safer than it has ever been. We use short-acting medications and we have reversal agents and when we turn the anesthetic gas off it is breathed out with oxygen at high flow.
Anesthesiologists monitor the vital signs of patients under general or regional anesthesia continuously during surgical procedures, and titrate anesthetic drugs to ensure an adequate level of pain relief and to avoid the extremes of too little or too much anesthesia. Surgeons rely on the judgement and care of anesthesiologists to ensure adequate levels of anesthesia.
The amount of anesthesia you need is carefully monitored by your CRNA and / or your anesthesiologist.
The surgeon would not know if the anesthetic dose is too much, that is the anesthesiologists job. Anesthesiologists monitor all vital functions for the purpose of titrating the correct amount of anesthetic medications for any given patient. No two patients are alike and therefore no two anesthetics are alike.
It's the responsibility of the the anesthesiologist to determine and act upon when necessary
The surgeon knows nothing about anesthesia. His specialty is surgery. The surgeon thinks he knows about anesthesia, but he thinks he knows about everything. The anesthesiologist is the specialist in anesthesia, not the surgeon. Surgeons have had little to no exposure as ti what is involved with the choice and administration of anesthesia. Unlike TV medical dramas, the surgeon isn’t aware of the blood pressure or heart rate or anything else but his surgery, and that is where his focus should be.
Hello,
In the proper trained hands it is unlikely to experience an overdose. There are some common side effects of general anesthesia, which include, but are not limited to nausea, sore throat, lip and tooth injury from placement of a breathing tooth and an occasional corneal abrasion from people rubbing their eye as they wake from surgery. With inadequate experienced anesthesia care providers, the fate of the patient can’t be determined.
In the proper trained hands it is unlikely to experience an overdose. There are some common side effects of general anesthesia, which include, but are not limited to nausea, sore throat, lip and tooth injury from placement of a breathing tooth and an occasional corneal abrasion from people rubbing their eye as they wake from surgery. With inadequate experienced anesthesia care providers, the fate of the patient can’t be determined.
Surgeon doesn't know. That's the job of the anesthesiologist. They go by your weigh, age, health history, vital signs and body's response to administered medications to maintain just the right level of anesthesia without over or underdosing.
Boris Yaguda, M.D.
Boris Yaguda, M.D.
Surgeon is and should be busy with his part of responsibility i.e. surgery. Anesthesiologist must and will know the status of the patient at all times during the surgery. She/He is constantly monitoring the patient, that is their responsibility.
If you are asking about “general anesthesia,” which generally means unconsciousness, then the anesthesiologist, not the surgeon, is the one who monitors the effects of anesthesia on the patient’s body. In general, the anesthesiologist monitors every patient’s heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen concentration, and respiratory function. Sometimes brain activity is also directly measured. From all of these monitors, an anesthesiologist can make sure that a correct amount of anesthesia is being used.
