Anesthesia for Internists-Table 8. Quick Reference Guide to Commonly Used Anesthetic Drugs (PDF)

Table 8. Quick Reference Guide to Commonly Used Anesthetic Drugs (PDF)

Pdf Summary

This table summarizes commonly used anesthetic drugs, detailing their class, use, mechanism, and side effects. <br /><br />Sedative hypnotics like Propofol are used for induction, maintenance, and monitored anesthesia care (MAC) by enhancing GABA transmission, but can decrease blood pressure (BP) due to reduced systemic vascular resistance (SVR). Similarly, Midazolam, a benzodiazepine used for anxiolysis, also enhances GABA and can lower BP through the same mechanism.<br /><br />Opiates such as Fentanyl and Hydromorphone provide pain control by acting as opiate receptor agonists. Both drugs carry risks of nausea and respiratory depression.<br /><br />Muscle relaxants are categorized into depolarizing and nondepolarizing agents. Succinylcholine, a depolarizing muscle relaxant, paralyzes muscles by depolarizing the neuromuscular junction but may trigger malignant hyperthermia and potassium release. Nondepolarizing muscle relaxants, including Vecuronium, Rocuronium, and Cisatracurium, induce muscle paralysis through competitive blockade at the neuromuscular junction, with muscle paralysis as a common side effect.<br /><br />Volatile anesthetics such as Sevoflurane, Desflurane, and Isoflurane maintain anesthesia by affecting spontaneous neuronal activity and metabolism. However, they share adverse effects like malignant hyperthermia and decreased BP.<br /><br />Overall, these anesthetic drugs work via various mechanisms targeting GABA transmission, opiate receptors, or neuromuscular junctions, each with specific side effect profiles important for clinical consideration.

Keywords

Anesthetic drugs

Sedative hypnotics

Propofol

Midazolam

Opiates

Fentanyl

Muscle relaxants

Succinylcholine

Volatile anesthetics

Malignant hyperthermia