Anesthesia:
Myth or Fact?
Myth or Fact?
Anesthesia is addictive.
MYTH: "Salem Anesthesia" clarifies that anesthesia drugs are not addictive and are used for medical purposes
Song 1
Won’t Back Down - Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers
Humans glow in the dark, but our eyes can’t see it.
True – due to biochemical reactions producing faint light.
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What is "Ants in your pants"?
General anesthesia is commonly started using medications given by this route.
What is "Intravenous, IV"?
You might die during surgery from anesthesia.
MYTH: Every surgery carries some element of risk. But in most cases, this is related to a patient’s overall health, rather than the anesthesia. Patients in a fragile state (someone undergoing trauma surgery following a major accident) face much greater risks than those created by anesthesia.
Song 2
Your brain is constantly eating itself
True - It goes through phagocytosis where cells envelop and consume smaller cells or molecules to remove them from the system. Don’t worry! Phagocytosis isn't harmful, but actually helps preserve your grey matter.
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What is "When pigs fly"?
This monitoring modality is required during all general anesthetics to assess oxygenation.
What is "Pulse Oximetry"?
Being under general anesthesia is the same thing as being in a very deep, natural sleep.
MYTH: Anesthesia is a drug-induced reversible coma. In natural sleep, your brain goes through REM&non-REM stages and you can be woken up by strong stimuli. Under general anesthesia, your brain activity is significantly suppressed, and you cannot be woken up until the drugs wear off.
Song 3
What did I miss - Drake
Outer Space smells like Lilac
False - Astronauts report it smells like burning metal and steak.
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What is "Early bird gets the worm"?
This component of anesthesia prevents memory formation during surgery.
What is "Amnesia"?
Cocaine was the very first local anesthetic used in modern medicine.
FACT: Used in 1880s by Carl Koller to numb the eye for surgery. It's actually still used occasionally today in nasal surgeries because it numbs the area and shrinks blood vessels to reduce bleeding (local anesthetic).
Song 4
Into you - Ariana Grande
A year on Venus is longer than a day on Venus.
False - A day on Venus (243 Earth days) is actually longer than a year on Venus (225 Earth days).
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What is "Laughing gas"?
A local anesthetic that numbs specific portions of the body.
What is "Lidocaine"?
Patients with natural red hair require a larger dose of anesthesia than patients with other hair colors.
FACT: A mutation in the MC1R gene (which causes red hair) also affects pain sensitivity. Studies have shown redheads may need about 20% more anesthesia to be fully sedated than the average population.
Song 5
Stateside (Remix) - Zara Larsson and Pinkpantheress
There are more possible games of chess than atoms in the observable universe.
True – the number is called the Shannon number.
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What is "Anesthesia"?
This anesthetic medication can increase heart rate and blood pressure.
What is "Ketamine"?