anaesthesia
- anaesthesia
n.
loss of feeling or sensation in a part or all of the body. Anaesthesia of a part of the body may occur as a result of injury to or disease of a nerve; for example in leprosy. The term is usually applied, however, to the technique of reducing or abolishing an individual's sensation of pain to enable surgery to be performed. This is effected by administering drugs (
see anaesthetic) or by the use of other methods, such as
acupuncture or hypnosis.
General anaesthesia is total unconsciousness, usually achieved by administering a combination of injections and gases (
the latter are inhaled through a mask).
Local anaesthesia abolishes pain in a limited area of the body and is used for minor operations, particularly many dental procedures. It may be achieved by injections of substances such as lidocaine (commonly used in dentistry) close to a local nerve, which deadens the tissues supplied by that nerve. Local anaesthesia may be combined with intravenous sedation. An appropriate injection into the spinal column produces
spinal anaesthesia or
epidural anaesthesia in the lower limbs or abdomen.
Regional anaesthesia, usually of a limb, is achieved by encircling local anaesthetic solutions or direct application of anaesthetic to one or more peripheral nerves.
Medical dictionary.
2011.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
Anaesthesia — An [ae]s*the si*a, n. [NL., fr. Gr. ?; an priv. + ? feeling, ? to feel: cf. F. anesth[ e]sie. See {[AE]sthetics}.] (Med.) Entire or partial loss or absence of feeling or sensation; a state of general or local insensibility produced by disease or… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Anaesthesia — Anæsthesia † Catholic Encyclopedia ► Anæsthesia (From Greek a, privative, and aisthesis, feeling). A term in medicine, and the allied sciences, signifying a state of insensibility to external impressions, consequent upon disease,… … Catholic encyclopedia
Anaesthesia — vgl. Anästhesie … Das Wörterbuch medizinischer Fachausdrücke
anaesthesia — (n.) 1721, loss of feeling, Modern Latin, from Gk. anaisthesia want of feeling, lack of sensation (to pleasure or pain), from an without (see AN (Cf. an ) (1)) + aisthesis feeling, from PIE root *au to perceive (see AUDIENCE (Cf. audience)). As … Etymology dictionary
anaesthesia — [an΄əs thē′zhə] n. ANESTHESIA anaesthetic [an΄əsthet′ik] adj., n. anaesthetist [ə nes′thə tist] n. anaesthetize vt. anaesthetized, anaesthetizing … English World dictionary
anaesthesia — Also written as anesthesia. The term anaesthesia comes from the Greek noun anaisthèsia,which means numbness. In a broad sense, it refers to a loss or impairment of sensitivity to stimuli in any of the sensory modalities. As a rule, however,… … Dictionary of Hallucinations
anaesthesia — n. (BE) see anesthesia 1) to induce, produce anaesthesia 2) to undergo anaesthesia 3) general; local anaesthesia 4) the anaesthesia wears off * * * [ˌænɪs θiːzɪə] local anaesthesia produce anaesthesia (BE) see anesthesia … Combinatory dictionary
anaesthesia — n. loss of feeling or sensation in a part or all of the body. Anaesthesia of a part of the body may occur as a result of injury to or disease of a nerve; for example in leprosy. The term is usually applied, however, to the technique of reducing… … The new mediacal dictionary
anaesthesia — [[t]æ̱nɪsθi͟ːziə, ʒə[/t]] N UNCOUNT Anaesthesia is the use of anaesthetics in medicine and surgery. The operation can be done under local anaesthesia. (in AM and sometimes in BRIT, use anesthesia) … English dictionary
anaesthesia — n. loss of feeling; unconsciousness; act of causing such state for medical purposes. ♦ anaesthesiology, n. study of anaesthesia. ♦ anaesthetize, v.t. cause anaesthesia. ♦ anaesthetist, n., British doctor specializing in administering… … Dictionary of difficult words
