General anaesthetic facts for kids

General anaesthetics are special medicines that make a person completely unconscious during a medical procedure, like surgery. When you're under general anaesthesia, you won't feel any pain, remember anything, or move around. It's different from analgesics (painkillers) or sedatives (medicines that make you sleepy but not fully unconscious).

Scientists are still learning exactly how these medicines work, but they affect your brain and nervous system to create this temporary state of unconsciousness.

How General Anaesthetics Are Given

Doctors often give general anaesthetics as gases or liquids.

General anaesthetics can be given in a few ways. Some are gases or vapours that you breathe in through a mask. These are called inhalational anaesthetics. Others are liquids that are injected into your vein (intravenous).

These medicines are usually "hydrophobic," meaning they don't mix well with water. This helps them get into your body's fatty tissues and brain. Often, doctors use a combination: they might give an injection to help you fall asleep quickly, then use a gas to keep you asleep during the procedure.

How General Anaesthetics Work

General anaesthetics work by affecting your central nervous system (your brain and spinal cord). They mostly do two things:

• They activate parts of your brain that slow things down.
• They turn off parts of your brain that excite or speed things up.

Because of this, your brain becomes less active, leading to unconsciousness and not feeling pain. Different anaesthetics might focus on different parts of the brain, which is why doctors choose specific ones based on the surgery and your needs.

Stages of Anaesthesia

When you receive general anaesthesia, your body goes through different stages before you become fully unconscious. Doctors watch these stages carefully to make sure you are safe and properly anaesthetised.

Stage I: Feeling Less Pain

In the first stage, you start to feel less pain. You might also begin to feel a bit confused and forgetful as you move towards the next stage.

Stage II: Excitement

This stage can be a bit confusing. You might feel delirious or disoriented. Your breathing might become uneven, and some people might feel sick or even vomit. Sometimes, people might struggle or panic a little because of the confusion.

Stage III: Surgical Anaesthesia

This is the goal stage for surgery. Your breathing becomes regular again. As you go deeper into this stage, your breathing might slow down or even stop, which is why doctors often help you breathe with a machine. Doctors can tell how deep you are in this stage by checking your eye movements and how big your pupils are.

Stage IV: Deepest Stage (Careful Monitoring Needed)

In this stage, breathing stops completely, and your heart and blood circulation can be affected. This stage is very dangerous, and if not managed immediately with breathing and heart support, it can be life-threatening. Doctors work hard to keep patients safely in Stage III and prevent them from reaching Stage IV.

Things That Can Happen During Anaesthesia

Besides making you unconscious and pain-free, general anaesthetics can have other effects on your body.

• Lower Blood Pressure: These medicines can make your blood pressure drop. This happens because they can make your heart pump less strongly or make your blood vessels widen. Sometimes, your heart might beat faster to try and bring your blood pressure back up.
• Feeling Cold: You might get colder during anaesthesia. This is partly because your blood vessels widen, which can make you lose heat. Your body's natural ways of staying warm also get a bit confused by the medicine.
• Breathing Changes: Anaesthetics usually make your breathing slower and shallower. They also relax the muscles in your throat, which can make it harder to clear your airway if something gets in the way (like a gag reflex). Because of this, doctors often use a special tube (endotracheal tube) to help you breathe safely during surgery.
• Nausea and Vomiting: After waking up from anaesthesia, some people feel nauseous or vomit. This is a common side effect because the medicines can affect the part of your brain that controls these feelings.

Doctors and nurses watch you very closely during and after anaesthesia to manage these effects and keep you safe.

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See also

• Local anaesthesia
• Mechanical ventilation
• Intraoperative awareness
• History of general anesthesia