Question

The patient tells the nurse, Im so nervous. I want to be knocked out for the surgery so that I dont know what is going on. When the nurse communicates with the surgeon and anesthetist, she tells them that the patient desires which type of anesthesia?

1)
Conscious sedation
2)
General anesthesia
3)
Local anesthesia
4)
Regional anesthesia

Answer 1

The patient's request to be 'knocked out' for surgery indicates they desire general anesthesia, which results in a reversible loss of consciousness and unawareness during the procedure.

Step-by-step explanation:

The patient expressing a desire to 'be knocked out' for surgery is indicating a preference for general anesthesia. This type of anesthesia results in a reversible loss of consciousness, allowing the patient to be unaware of the procedure being performed. General anesthesia encompasses several key effects, including immobility, analgesia, amnesia, unconsciousness, and reduced autonomic responsiveness to noxious stimuli. It involves the use of drugs that cause relaxation of the body's muscles, including those necessary for breathing and moving the tongue, necessitating interventions such as endotracheal intubation to maintain an open airway. After the surgery is completed, the anesthesiologist will then gradually reverse the effects of the anesthesia, ending with the removal of the endotracheal tube as the patient regains muscle control and consciousness.