General Anesthesia for Surgeons

General Anesthesia for Surgeons

Credits: 1.00   Post-Assessment Questions:  7

Release Date: 5 Oct 2020
Expiration Date: 25 Aug 2021
Last Reviewed: 25 Aug 2020
Estimated Time To Finish: 60 Minutes

Need Help?  If you have a system or content concerns, please contact support@statpearls.com, or call (727) 289-9796.

Activity Description

The primary goal of general anesthesia is rendering a patient unconscious and unable to feel painful stimuli while controlling autonomic reflexes. There are 5 main classes of anesthetic agents: intravenous (IV) anesthetics, inhalational anesthetics, IV sedatives, synthetic opioids, and neuromuscular blocking drugs. Each class has particular strengths and weaknesses, and being familiar with these characteristics as well as key side effects can prove beneficial for the surgical team. The activity reviews the principles of general anesthesia, with particular focus on the common medications and equipment utilized and the detection of emergencies in patients who have undergone anesthesia. This activity highlights the role of the interprofessional team in providing general anesthesia, which requires working knowledge, clear communication, and participation of all operating room personnel.

Target Audience

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of nurses.

Learning Objectives

At the conclusion of this activity, the learner will be better able to:

• Contrast the 5 main classes of anesthetic agents.
• Outline relative contraindications to general anesthesia.
• Describe the equipment commonly required for general anesthesia.

Author(s) / Contributors Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest

Each author, editor, faculty and planning committee member have completed a disclosure form indicating that neither they nor their spouse/partner has a financial interest/arrangement or affiliation that could be perceived as a real or apparent conflict of interest related to the content of this activity.

COMMERCIAL SUPPORT: This activity has received NO commercial support.

Contributors

Hover over the contributor names to see details and disclosures of any financial relationships or relationships they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this continuing education activity.

Authors: Guerin Smith, Jason D'Cruz, Bryan Rondeau
Editors: Julie Goldman
Editors-In-Chief: Danna FlowersEsther Johnstone
Chief Medical Reviewer: Richard Lopez
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Lisa Haddad
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Bernadette Makar
Nurse Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Dorothy Caputo
Pharmacy Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Mark Pellegrini
Physician Planner/Reviewer/Editor: Scott Dulebohn

Continuing Education Accreditation Information

This activity is jointly provided by AKH Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare and StatPearls. AKH, Inc., Advancing Knowledge in Healthcare is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation. This activity is awarded 1.00 Contact Hours.

Cancellation Policy: Cancellations must be received in writing and a money-back guarantee is provided if not completely satisfied.

• StatPearls and AKH reserve the right to cancel any course due to unforeseen circumstances. StatPearls and AKH will not be responsible for other expenses incurred by the participant in the unlikely event that the program is canceled.

Equal Opportunity

• StatPearls and AKH are Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action / Equal Access Institutions. 

Medium or Media Used:

• Computer Requirements:  Internet Access
• E-mail Address

Instructions for Credit

1. Register for the activity and create a StatPearls login.     
2. Review the required accreditation information:  Target audience, learning objectives and disclosure information.
3. Complete the entire self-study activity.
4. Complete the post-test assessments.
5. Successfully pass the post-test with a minimum score of 100%.
6. Complete the evaluation form.
7. Obtain a certificate.

StatPearls and AKH adhere to ANCC Standards regarding commercial support of continuing nursing education. It is the policy of StatPearls and AKH that the faculty and planning committee disclose real or apparent conflicts of interest relating to the topics of this educational activity, that relevant conflict(s) of interest are resolved and also that authors and editors will disclose any unlabeled/unapproved use of drug(s) or device(s) during their presentation. Detailed disclosure will be made prior to starting the activity.

The information provided at this CNE activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent medical/clinical judgment of a healthcare provider relative to diagnostic and treatment options of a specific patient’s medical condition.

• If you have concerns regarding the CE system, please contact support@statpearls.com, or call 727-289-9796.
• If you have concerns regarding CE, please contact service@akhcme.com or call AKH 877-AKH-CME4.

Media Usage Rights

The contributors and editors of StatPearls have attested that all associated media (images and video) have been legally cleared for use with this activity.  All copyrights are reserved.