Intravenous Anesthetics in animals

Intravenous Anesthetics in animals are used to induce anesthesia by giving them through intra venous route of drug administration. Intravenous anesthetics are also known as injectable anaesthetics.

Advantages of Intravenous anesthetics

1. Easy induction of anesthesia
2. Minimal apparatus requirement
3. Brief and smooth recovery
4. Minimal post-anesthetic complications
5. No danger of explosion or pollution
6. Pleasant and nonirritating

Disadvantages of intravenous anesthetics

1. Control of depth and level of anesthesia not easy
2. If overdose given, cannot be readily eliminated or detoxified
3. Difficulty in finding vein and catheterization needed to sustain anaesthesia
4. Not ideal for caesarean as they cross placenta, may depress fetal respiration
5. Drug may be irritant if it escapes into perivascular sites
6. Contraindicated in renal and hepatic ailments

Intravenous or injectable Anesthetics are further divided into- Barbiturates Anesthetics, Non-Barbiturates anesthetics and Dissociative anesthetics.

Barbiturates Anesthetics

Examples of Barbiturates Anesthetics are Thiopentone, Thiamylal, Thialbarbitone, Methohexitone and Pentobarbitone etc.

Non-Barbiturates Anesthetics

• Phenol derivatives– propofol
• Imidazole derivatives– etomidate and metomidate
• Steroidal anesthetics– saffan (alphaxalone-alphadolone)
• Chloral derivatives– chloral hydrates
• Benzodiazepines– midazolam and diazepam
• Opioid and neurolept analgesics– fentanyl, fentanyl- droperidol combination
• Miscellaneous anesthetics– chloralose and urethane.

Dissociative anesthetics

Examples of Dissociative anesthetics are ketamine, tiletamine, Phencyclidine etc.