Final answer:
The start of anesthesia time is marked when the anesthesiologist begins to prepare the patient, which includes confirming details, reviewing critical information, and ensuring the patient's readiness for general anesthesia with all team members' acknowledgment.
Step-by-step explanation:
The time used to report the start of anesthesia time is when the anesthesiologist begins to prepare the patient for the anesthesia administration. This involves a comprehensive process where the medical team, including the anesthesiologist, confirms the patient's identity, reviews the surgical site and procedure, and confirms that all essential imaging results for the correct patient are displayed in the operating room. It also includes confirming that prophylactic antibiotics have been administered if necessary, and ensuring that all team members have introduced themselves by name and role. The key concerns for the patient's recovery and care are also reviewed aloud, a practice commonly referred to as 'Time Out.'
Before surgery, the patient must be readied for general anesthesia. This involves suspending the body's normal homeostatic controls in preparation for surgery. The anesthesia drugs relax the majority of the body's muscles, including those necessary for breathing and moving the tongue. To maintain an open airway during the procedure, endotracheal intubation is used. After surgery, the anesthesiologist carefully adjusts the gases that keep the patient unconscious until the breathing muscles begin to function independently again, which is followed by removal of the intubation tube.