From Awake To Anesthetized

A genuine anesthesia induction - this is how it's done!

This wide wake patient is distracted by the anesthesiologist while the nurse quietly injects the first of three drugs thru her cannula - a mild sedative

Feeling the slight sting of the sedative entering her vein, she turns to see what the nurse is doing while doctor is turning on the anesthesia machine.

Doctor places the mask on patient's face and she breathes pure oxygen to saturate her system ready for intubation. At the same time, he jacks up the table to a better height. Nurse uses this distraction to inject Propofol, a powerful intravenous anesthetic

As the Propofol enters her vein, she feels a cold sensation rising up her arm. Doctor tells her to relax and take deep breaths...

The patient loses consciousness. The strong dose of Propofol paralyses her diaphragm so she can no longer breathe on her own. Doctor breathes for her by squeezing and releasing the rebreathing bag

Nurse now injects the final drug - a paralysing muscle relaxant. Doctor feels the patient go limp under the mask.

Doctor checks the patient is paralyzed by flicking her eyelashes. There is no reflex reaction so doctor knows the drug has worked.

The patient is paralyzed so will have no muscle tone in her larynx, which can cause her throat to close and block her airway, so doctor tilts her head right back to keep the airway clear.

Keeping her head tilted back, doctor continues to saturate her body with oxygen by squeezing and releasing the rebreathing bag. She won't be getting any oxygen during intubation, so will be needing this excess oxygen in her blood to keep her alive.

Doctor now gets the tube which will be inserted down patient's throat into her trachea. Note the rubber cuff at the end. This will form a gas-tight seal in the larynx to ensure there are no leaks of gas from her throat.

Doctor now carefully inserts the tube down her throat and inflates the cuff inside the trachea.

Finally doctor connects the tube to the anesthesia machine and switches on the ventilator, which will now breathe for her. He now adjusts the machine so that a mixture of approximately 70% nitrous oxide, 28% oxygen and 2% sevoflurane vapor to keep her anesthetized. He will then use tape to secure the tube in place, leaving his hands free to monitor her vital functions. He may also inject a variety of drugs thru her cannula to keep her paralyzed and healthy while she's anesthetized, as her body now can't regulate itself.