General anesthesia is the anesthesia of choice during emergency surgeries; this type of anesthesia paralyzes the entire body, including the lungs, and causes the patient to become unconscious. First, an IV medication is given to relax the patient while the physician places an endotracheal, or breathing, tube. This tube is connected to a ventilator, which will provide breaths for the patient during surgery.
Once the ventilator is breathing for the patient, the rest of the medications are given to prevent any movement of the patient during the surgery and to make sure the patient sleeps through the procedure. The anesthesia provider will continuously monitor the patient’s vital signs and heart activity throughout the surgery.
If necessary, the anesthesia provider will place additional IV lines in the arms, or place a larger IV, called a central line, which allows staff to give more medications simultaneously.
