Definition

Noun: A medically induced state of total unconsciousness, where the patient feels no pain and has no awareness or memory of the procedure, typically administered for major surgical operations.

Usage

"General anaesthesia" is used to describe the complete loss of sensation and consciousness for the duration of a medical procedure. It is administered and monitored by an anesthesiologist.

Examples

• The patient was placed under general anaesthesia for the open-heart surgery.
• The procedure requires general anaesthesia, so you will be completely asleep.
• The risks and benefits of general anaesthesia were explained before the operation.

Advanced Usage

• Induction of general anaesthesia: Refers to the process of administering drugs to cause unconsciousness.
  • The induction of general anaesthesia was smooth and rapid.
• Emergence from general anaesthesia: Refers to the process of waking up after the anesthetic drugs are discontinued.
  • Her emergence from general anaesthesia was uneventful.

Variants and Related Words

• General anesthetic (noun): The drug or agent used to produce general anaesthesia.
  • Propofol is a common general anesthetic.
• Anesthesiology (noun): The branch of medicine concerned with anesthesia and anesthetics.
• Local anaesthesia (noun): Induces absence of sensation in a specific part of the body without affecting consciousness.

Synonyms

• General anesthesia (US spelling variant)
• Surgical anesthesia
• Narcosis (a less common, more technical term)

Antonyms

• Consciousness
• Wakefulness
• Local anaesthesia

Related Phrases and Terms

• Under general anaesthesia: The state of being anesthetized.
  • The patient was under general anaesthesia for three hours.
• Depth of anaesthesia: The degree or level of unconsciousness.
  • The anesthesiologist continuously monitors the depth of anaesthesia.

Noun

1. a state of total unconsciousness resulting from anesthetic drugs (as for a major surgical operation)