Final answer:
Anesthesia at TAUC may be administered through various routes including nerve block, topically, by pill, locally, and IV. Oral administration is suitable for home treatment of systemic infections, while lidocaine, a local anesthetic, provides localized numbness by blocking sodium channels.
Step-by-step explanation:
The routes that anesthesia may be administered at TAUC (Total Anesthesia Care Unit) include a nerve block, topically, by pill, locally, and intravenously (IV). When discussing the administration of anesthetics for a systemic infection at home, the appropriate and convenient route is typically oral. This is because oral administration is generally easy for patients to manage themselves. On the other hand, local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, work by blocking voltage-gated sodium channels, thereby preventing nerve impulse transmission and causing reversible numbness or pain relief in a localized area. Injectable anesthetics are used for the induction and maintenance of unconsciousness and are often preferred because they are faster and less painful than other methods.