Nervous system drugs anesthetic agents

The ability of the anesthetic agent to function is related to the partial pressure of the drug in the brain. Two major factors dictate the concentration of anesthetic agent in the neural tissue (1) the pressure gradients from lung alveoli to the brain (i.e., inhaled gas —> alveoli — bloodstream —> brain) and (2) the lipid solubility of the drug that enables it to pass between the blood-brain barrier to the central nervous system. 

The anesthetic effect of the agents with short and intermediate durations of action can be prolonged by increasing the dose or by adding a vasoconstrictor agent (eg, epinephrine or phenylephrine). The vasoconstrictor retards the removal of drug from the injection site. In addition, it decreases the blood level and hence the probability of central nervous system toxicity. 

Keywords Acetylcholine Autonomic nervous system Cyclosporine Epinephrine General anesthetics Immunostimu-lating agents Immunosuppressive agents Mycophenolate mofetil Opioid drugs Sedative-hypnotic agents... 

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