What are the side effects and aftereffects of anesthetics?

Generally, the side effects and complications of anesthetic drugs include nausea and vomiting, dizziness, headache, hypotension, memory impairment, nerve damage, etc. A detailed analysis is as follows:

1. Nausea and Vomiting

Anesthetic drugs can affect the normal function of the gastrointestinal tract, inhibit gastrointestinal motility, and prolong gastric emptying time. At the same time, anesthetics may also stimulate the vestibular organs in the inner ear, causing vestibular dysfunction, which leads to symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.

2. Dizziness and Headache

Anesthetic drugs can affect the vasodilation and vasoconstriction functions of cerebral blood vessels, altering cerebral blood flow perfusion. Especially after general anesthesia, the drugs take a certain amount of time to metabolize within the body, during which temporary imbalance in cerebral blood supply and oxygenation may occur, thus causing dizziness and headache.

3. Hypotension

Some anesthetic drugs dilate peripheral blood vessels, reducing vascular resistance and venous return, which leads to decreased blood pressure. In addition, anesthetic drugs have a certain inhibitory effect on the myocardium, weakening myocardial contractility and reducing cardiac output, which can also cause hypotension. Moreover, blood loss or allergic reactions during the anesthesia process may further exacerbate hypotension.

4. Memory Impairment

General anesthetics act on brain regions associated with memory, interfering with neurotransmitter transmission and neuronal activity. For example, inhalational anesthetics may inhibit neuronal excitability and synaptic transmission by affecting brain areas closely related to memory, such as the hippocampus, thereby affecting memory formation and consolidation.

5. Nerve Damage

During the anesthesia procedure, such as nerve block or intrathecal anesthesia, if the puncture needle directly injures a nerve, it may cause structural damage to the nerve, leading to localized neurological dysfunction. Additionally, high local concentrations of anesthetic drugs, the neurotoxic effects of the drugs, and local ischemia may also damage nerves, resulting in complications such as localized numbness, pain, sensory abnormalities, or motor dysfunction.

During anesthesia, anesthesiologists will strictly control the dosage and administration of anesthetic drugs based on the patient's specific condition, aiming to minimize the occurrence of these side effects and complications.