General Anesthesia

Overview

General anesthesia is a reversible, drug-induced state of unconsciousness in which a patient loses awareness, sensation, and the ability to respond to surgical stimulation. It is defined by the simultaneous achievement of several pharmacological end points: hypnosis (loss of consciousness), analgesia (suppression of pain), amnesia (absence of recall), and, where required, immobility and attenuation of autonomic reflexes. These effects are produced by inhalational agents such as the halogenated ethers and nitrous oxide, and by intravenous agents including propofol, ketamine, etomidate, and opioids, frequently combined with neuromuscular blocking drugs to facilitate tracheal intubation and provide surgical relaxation. Anesthetic agents act predominantly on central nervous system ion channels, potentiating inhibitory GABA-A receptor signaling and modulating NMDA and other excitatory pathways. Safe conduct demands continuous monitoring of oxygenation, ventilation, hemodynamics, and depth, together with airway management and titration of agents to the procedure and the patient's physiological reserve. General anesthesia is integral to most major surgical interventions, including obstetric, abdominal, and reconstructive procedures, and its perioperative management influences recovery, fluid balance, and outcomes such as postoperative cognitive dysfunction in vulnerable populations. The journal publishes peer-reviewed research spanning perioperative care, surgical management, and related clinical outcomes.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 28 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

• The effects of platelet rich plasma and zinc oxide nanoparticle on skin wound healing in dogs
  2026 · Scientific Reports
• Dopaminergic sub-network connectivity alterations are associated with postoperative cognitive dysfunction
  2026 · European Journal of Anaesthesiology
• Diabetes and postoperative cognitive dysfunction and delirium in adults: mechanisms, biomarkers, and clinical management
  2026 · Frontiers in Endocrinology
• Pre-surgical memory impairment is associated with risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in a large geriatric cohort
  K. Granger et al. · 2025 · JAR life
• Utilization of quality antenatal care and associated factors among immediate postnatal women in Jimma town public hospitals, Oromia, Ethiopia. Cross Sectional Study Design
  2025 ·
• Pre-surgical memory impairment is associated with risk of postoperative cognitive dysfunction in a large geriatric cohort
  2025 · Journal of Aging Research and Lifestyle
• Management des postoperativen Delirs (POD) im Krankenhaus: Probleme und Lösungsoptionen
  2025 · Springer eBooks
• Synovial Fluid Biomarker Profile After Intra-Articular Administration of Neosaxitoxin in Horses: A Feasibility Study
  2025 · Animals

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on General Anesthesia, linking to each citing work.

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.

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