Premedication

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Premedication Goals & Gains - Smooth Sailing Start

  • Core Psychological Goals (📌 ASAP):
    • Anxiolysis: Alleviate anxiety, induce calm.
    • Sedation: Ensure patient cooperation.
    • Amnesia: Anterograde, prevent recall of events.
    • Pain relief (Analgesia): Preemptive, reduce discomfort.
  • Physiological & Protective Aims:
    • Antisialagogue: Dry secretions, clear airway.
    • Reflex Attenuation: Blunt adverse sympathetic/vagal responses.
    • Aspiration Prophylaxis: ↓ gastric volume, ↑ gastric pH.
    • PONV Prophylaxis: Prevent postoperative nausea/vomiting.
  • Anesthetic Facilitation & Gains:
    • Smooth induction/emergence, ↓ overall anesthetic needs.
    • Enhanced patient satisfaction & comfort, ↓ perioperative morbidity.

⭐ Benzodiazepines (e.g., Midazolam 0.02-0.1 mg/kg IV/IM) are prime choices for effective anxiolysis and anterograde amnesia.

Key Premed Drugs - The Anxiolytic Arsenal

Drug ClassExamplesKey EffectsCommon Adult Oral/IV Dose RangeKey Adverse Effects/Contraindications
BenzodiazepinesMidazolam, Diazepam, LorazepamAnxiolysis, sedation, amnesia, anticonvulsant.Midazolam: Oral 7.5-15 mg, IV 0.02-0.1 mg/kg. Diazepam: PO 5-10 mg. Lorazepam: PO 1-2 mg.Resp. depression (esp. w/ opioids), paradoxical agitation. Caution: elderly, glaucoma. Reversal: Flumazenil.
α₂-AgonistsClonidine, DexmedetomidineAnxiolysis, sedation, analgesia, sympatholysis (↓HR, ↓BP), ↓MAC.Clonidine: PO 100-200 mcg. Dexmedetomidine: IV load 0.5-1 mcg/kg.Bradycardia, hypotension, sedation. Avoid abrupt withdrawal (rebound HTN).
Beta-BlockersMetoprolol, Atenolol↓HR, ↓BP, ↓myocardial O₂ demand, mild anxiolysis.Metoprolol: PO 25-100 mg. Atenolol: PO 25-50 mg.Bradycardia, hypotension, bronchospasm (non-selective), heart block.

Tailored Premedication - Patient-First Protocols

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Timing & Routes - The Pre-Op Playbook

  • Oral (PO):
    • Administer 60-90 min pre-op.
    • Most common, patient comfort.
    • Allows sips of water.
  • Intravenous (IV):
    • Administer 5-10 min pre-op or at induction.
    • Rapid onset, ideal for immediate effect.
    • Titratable dosage.
  • Intramuscular (IM):
    • Administer 30-60 min pre-op.
    • Use if PO/IV routes are challenging.
    • Slower, less predictable absorption than IV.

⭐ Midazolam is a common IV premedicant due to its rapid onset (2-5 min) and short duration of action.

High‑Yield Points - ⚡ Biggest Takeaways

  • Primary goals: anxiolysis, sedation, analgesia, amnesia, antisialagogue effect, and aspiration prophylaxis.
  • Benzodiazepines (e.g., midazolam) for anxiolysis/amnesia; reversed by flumazenil.
  • Opioids (e.g., fentanyl) for analgesia; risk of respiratory depression, reversed by naloxone.
  • Anticholinergics (e.g., glycopyrrolate) to ↓ secretions and manage bradycardia.
  • Aspiration prophylaxis: H2 blockers (ranitidine), PPIs (omeprazole), and prokinetics (metoclopramide).
  • Antiemetics like ondansetron (5-HT3 antagonist) or dexamethasone for preventing PONV (Postoperative Nausea and Vomiting).

Practice Questions: Premedication

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Premedication is prescribed to – a) Allay anxiety b) Make the patient asleep before coming for operation c) Reduce the dose of induction agents d) Produce amnesia

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Flashcards: Premedication

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A patient with well controlled DM/HTN would be classified under ASA _____

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A patient with well controlled DM/HTN would be classified under ASA _____

II

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