Isoflurane is often used with other active pharmaceutical ingredients in anesthesia to achieve better anesthetic effect and reduce side effects. According to clinical needs, common combination drugs include analgesics, muscle relaxants, sedatives, anticholinergic drugs and so on. Through reasonable drug compatibility, the depth of anesthesia can be controlled, the pain can be effectively relieved and the physiological state of patients can be stabilized.
Combined Application of Isoflurane and Analgesics
Pain management during operation is a vital part of anesthesia. Although isoflurane itself has a certain analgesic effect, its analgesic effect is not as strong as that of analgesics (such as opioids) in general anesthesia. Therefore, in most operations, isoflurane is usually combined with other analgesics to enhance the analgesic effect.
Opioid drugs, such as Fentanyl and Morphine, are commonly used in combination with isoflurane as analgesic drugs. Fentanyl is a powerful synthetic opioid analgesic, which can effectively relieve severe pain during surgery. When used in combination with isoflurane, fentanyl can reduce the required concentration of isoflurane, thus reducing its side effects, especially its inhibitory effect on respiratory and circulatory systems. Fentanyl blocks the conduction of pain by acting on opioid receptors in the central nervous system, thus achieving effective pain control.
Local anesthetics, such as Lidocaine and Bupivacaine, are often used with isoflurane in some operations, especially when postoperative analgesia is needed. Local anesthetic drugs can anesthetize specific areas by injection or local application to relieve postoperative pain.
Combined Application of Isoflurane and Muscle Relaxants
When performing some operations, especially those requiring delicate operations, muscle relaxants are often needed to relax muscles, so that patients are in a state of complete muscle relaxation, which is convenient for surgeons to perform operations. Isoflurane is usually used in combination with muscle relaxants. Common muscle relaxants include Vecuronium, Rocuronium and Atracurium.
These active drugs inhibit the transmission of neuromuscular junction, block the combination of acetylcholine and its receptor, and lead to muscle contraction, thus achieving the effect of muscle relaxation. In general anesthesia, the combined use of isoflurane and muscle relaxants can effectively reduce the dosage of anesthetic drugs, improve the controllability of anesthesia, and reduce the physiological reaction of patients.
Combined Application of Isoflurane and Sedatives
In some cases, the combination of isoflurane and sedatives can enhance the comfort of patients, especially in surgery that requires long-term anesthesia. Common sedatives include benzodiazepines (such as diazepam and lorazepam) and barbiturates.
Benzodiazepines have a good sedative effect by enhancing the effect of neurotransmitter GABA. When combined with isoflurane, benzodiazepines can deepen the anesthetic effect and keep patients quiet and painless during the operation. In addition, benzodiazepines can also reduce anxiety and improve the comfort of patients.
Combined Application of Isoflurane and Anticholinergic Drugs
Anticholinergic drugs, such as Atropine and Scopolamine, are often used in combination with isoflurane to prevent side effects such as excessive saliva secretion and bradycardia during anesthesia. Isoflurane can reduce the activity of sympathetic nervous system, leading to the decrease of heart rate, while anticholinergic drugs can help maintain normal heart rate and reduce the accumulation of fluid in the body by inhibiting the effect of parasympathetic nerve, thus making the anesthesia process of patients more stable.