Drug safety anesthetics

GHB was first synthesized in 1960 and introduced as a general anesthetic. Because of its narrow safety margin and its addictive potential, it is not available in the USA for this purpose at present. Before causing sedation and coma, GHB causes euphoria, enhanced sensory perceptions, a feeling of social closeness, and amnesia. These properties have made it a popular "club drug" that goes by colorful street names such as "liquid ecstasy,"... 

Ketamine was first used clinically in 1970, and was thought to be an ideal anesthetic agent. The U.S. military put it to use in Vietnam as an easily administered battlefield drug. It had a wide safety margin in terms of its dosage, making it ideally suited to the chaotic atmosphere of the battlefield. 

Ketamine is not a tranquilizer for horses or any other animal. Ketamine is a surgical anesthetic. It is still in standard use on children and the very old because of its wide safety margin when used by professionals in clinical settings. Any drug that renders its user unconscious carries with it dangers that should not be trivialized. 

PCP was first developed in 1926 as an anesthetic to be used in surgery. Early on, the drug showed promise because it appeared to produces anesthesia without depressing breathing or heart rates. Still, lingering questions about safety and effectiveness meant it was largely ignored until 1957. 

There are several clinical applications for neuromuscular blockade. The most important by far is the induction of muscle relaxation during anesthesia for effective surgery. Without such drugs deeper anesthesia, requiring more anesthetic, would be needed to achieve the same degree of muscle relaxation tracheal intubation would also be impossible because of strong reflex response to tube insertion. It is the decreased need for anesthetics, however, that represents increased surgical safety. 

Sodium pentothal (also called thiopental sodium) is commonly used as an intravenous anesthetic. The onset of anesthesia and the loss of consciousness occur within seconds of its administration. Care must be taken when administering sodium pentothal because the dose for effective anesthesia is 75% of the lethal dose. Because of its toxicity, it cannot he used as the sole anesthetic. It is generally used to induce anesthesia before an inhalation anesthetic is administered. Propofol is an anesthetic that has all the properties of the perfect anesthetic It can he used as the sole anesthetic by intravenous drip, it has a rapid and pleasant induction period and a wide margin of safety, and recovery from the drug is rapid and pleasant. 

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