Local Anesthetics Flashcards
(160 cards)
Local anesthetics
reversibly block afferent nerve transmission to produce analgesia WITHOUT loss of consciousness
Afferent
sensory neurons
Efferent
motor neurons
3 types of blockades
Autonomic
Somatic sensory
Somatic motor
block tends to order is this order
Sympathectomy
surgical removal of a sympathetic nerve and side effects can result in an autonomic block
Autonomic blockade
easiest r/t fiber being on outside the nerve
- causes vasodilation and decreased BP
- fluid boluses can be given to get ahead of the block
Somatic sensory blockade
block feeling of pain
**what we want to bock
Somatic motor blockade
more difficult to block and we don’t necessarily need to bock
*can be useful if surgeon needs a relaxed surgical field
Uses of Local Anesthetics
-they are administers near the site of action
- infiltrated around the nerve;
1. topically to skin and mucous membranes
2. injected into blood vessel
3. injected into the subarachnoid and epidural spaces
Bier Block
injecting local anesthetic into the venous system of an upper or lower extremity that has been exsanguinated by compression or gravity and that has been isolated by means of a tourniquet from the central circulation.
Dorsal Nerve Root
contains dorsal root ganglia [[cell bodies of AFFERENT (sensory) neurons
Ventral Nerve Root
EFFERENT (motor) neuron
Myelinated Nerve Fiber
Schwann cell wraps itself around the axon several times [[lipid insulating barrier]]
creating a myelin sheath around the axon
*this increases efficiency [[how fast an AP canspend]]
Unmyelinated Nerve Fiber
single Schwann cell surround several axons
Myelinated vs Unmyelinated
- propagation of impulses is similar
- unmyelinated fibers impulses travel along the length of the fiber in a continuous fashion
-myelinated fibers conduction is ‘salutary’
[[so fast it appears the impulses leap from node of Ranvier (where there is no myelin) to the next
-locals can only work on the node of ranvier
[[need enough local to block 3 nodes –> as the nerve gets bigger the nodes get further apart –> larger nerves are harder to block]]
Membrane
-ion channels on membrane guarded by gating mechanism
[[channels are open/ closed depending changing physiological conditions]]
-barrier exists where there is movement of ions along a concentration gradient between intracellular and extracellular space
- extracellular –> high Na+
- intracellular –> high K+
K+ sets the resting membrane potential [[-70- -90]]
Nerve Fibers
-Diameter of the nerve fiber is proportional to the velocity of an impulse
[[larger the diameter higher the conduction velocity]]
Fibers are classified according to diameter
[[3 types A,B and C fibers]]
Fast and slow pathways
Large fibers have the highest conduction velocity and LOWESR threshold for excitability
[[A- alpha fastest; unmyelinated C-fiber is the slowest]]
A Fibers
-myelinated
-1-22 micrometers
- subdivided in 4 types
[[alpha; beta; gamma, delta]]
A- delta Slowest of the A fibers
B Fibers
- myelinated
- 1-3 micrometers
C Fibers
- unmyelinated
- 0.1- 2.5 micrometers
Peripheral Nerve Fibers
Largest/ Fastest - Smallest/ Slowest
- A -alpha fibers; motor and proprioception
- A -beta fibers; motor, touch, pressure
- A -delta fibers; pain, temperature, touch [[fast pain]]
- B-fibers; PREganglionic autonomic
- C-fibers; dull pain temperature, touch POSTganglionic autonomic [[no myelin]]
Teaching for epidural to a woman in labor
“you will feel pressure but no pain’’
why?? hard to block A- alpha and A- beta typically don’t block those fully
Testing nerve block
when we block the level of pain [[A- delta fibers]] we also block temperature
*check level of block with cold alcohol swap to. assess their feeling of temperature and pain [[nicer than using a needle]]
Sensitivity to peripheral nerve to LA is determined by what
size of myelin
INVERSE relationship
smaller fiber more sensitive
[[why we see an autonomic block first; C and B fibers]]