ABSTRACT

General Considerations The need for general anesthesia, defined as loss of sensation to pain with unconsciousness, is based on two essential requirements: first is to provide analgesia, the other is to induce partial or complete immobility. The requirement for analgesia with or without loss of consciousness may apply to elective or non-elective surgery or for patient examination that may produce discomfort and perhaps pain. The need for immobility may be the only requirement, but concurrent loss of consciousness is produced by most anesthetics and some analgesics. In this respect, requirements for anesthetic drugs are broader in veterinary medicine than in human medicine because for most human subjects, restraint is often accomplished by self control and communication. Perhaps the closest comparison can be made between veterinary anesthesia and anesthesia for pediatric and senile human patients.