The use of anesthesia makes it possible to make the treatment not only effective, but also painless, which is especially important for children. However, is the use of general anesthesia always justified, or may it be associated with risks to the health and development of the child?
Pain-free surgery: types of anesthesia
Many medical procedures are so painful that even an adult, let alone a child, cannot withstand them without anesthesia. The pain, as well as the fear associated with the surgery, is very stressful for the baby. So, even a simple medical procedure can cause neurotic disorders such as urinary incontinence, sleep disturbances, nightmares, nervous tics, and stuttering. Painful shock can even cause death.
The use of pain relievers helps to avoid discomfort and reduce the stress of medical procedures. Anesthesia is local - in this case, an anesthetic drug is injected into the tissues directly around the affected organ. In addition, the anesthesiologist can "turn off" the nerve endings that carry impulses from the part of the body on which the operation is performed to the child's brain.
In both cases, a certain part of the body loses sensitivity. At the same time, the child remains fully conscious, although he does not feel pain. Local anesthesia acts locally and practically does not affect the general condition of the body. The only danger in this case may be associated with the occurrence of an allergic reaction to the drug.
General anesthesia is called general anesthesia, which involves turning off the patient's consciousness. Under anesthesia, the child not only loses sensitivity to pain and falls into deep sleep. The use of various drugs and their combinations gives doctors the opportunity, if necessary, to suppress involuntary reflex reactions and reduce muscle tone. In addition, the use of general anesthesia causes complete amnesia - after medical intervention, the baby will not remember anything about the unpleasant sensations experienced on the operating table.
Why is anesthesia dangerous for a child?
It is obvious that general anesthesia has a number of advantages, and in cases of complex operations it is absolutely necessary. However, parents often worry about the negative consequences that anesthesia can cause.
Indeed, the use of anesthesia in children is associated with a number of difficulties. So, the child's body is less sensitive to some drugs, and in order for the anesthesia to work, their concentration in the child's blood must be an order of magnitude higher than in adults. This is associated with the danger of an overdose of anesthetics, which can cause hypoxia in the child and other complications from the nervous and cardiovascular system, up to cardiac arrest.
Another danger is associated with the fact that it is more difficult for a child's body to maintain a stable body temperature: the thermoregulation function has not yet developed properly. In this regard, in rare cases, hyperthermia develops - a violation caused by hypothermia or overheating of the body. In order to prevent this, the anesthesiologist must carefully monitor the body temperature of the little patient.
Alas, there is a danger of an allergic reaction to the drug. In addition, a number of complications can be associated with certain diseases from which the child suffers. That is why it is so important to tell the anesthesiologist about all the features of the child's body, previous illnesses before the operation.
In general, modern anesthetics are safe, practically non-toxic, and by themselves do not cause any negative consequences. With a well-chosen dosage, an experienced anesthesiologist will not allow any complications.
