Kuwait MOH Anesthesia Technician key terms

The volume of gas moved into or out of the lungs during one normal breath, usually about 6 to 8 mL per kilogram of predicted body weight in a ventilated adult.

The volume of gas remaining in the lungs at the end of a normal passive expiration; it acts as the main oxygen reservoir during apnea and is reduced by obesity, pregnancy, and supine posture.

The portion of each breath that does not take part in gas exchange, made up of anatomical airway volume plus alveoli that are ventilated but poorly perfused.

The total volume of gas breathed per minute, calculated as tidal volume multiplied by respiratory rate; it is the main dial the anesthesia provider adjusts to control carbon dioxide clearance.

A graph showing how hemoglobin saturation varies with the partial pressure of oxygen; it shifts right with acidosis, hypercapnia, and fever, and left with alkalosis, hypothermia, and fetal hemoglobin.

The alveolar concentration of an inhaled agent at which half of patients do not move in response to a standard surgical stimulus; it allows comparison of potency between volatile agents.

The transient rise in alveolar concentration of a co-administered gas caused by rapid uptake of a large volume of another gas, such as nitrous oxide, from the lung.

The time needed for the plasma concentration of a continuously infused drug to fall by half after the infusion stops; it lengthens as infusion duration increases for drugs with slow redistribution.

Denitrogenation of the lungs by breathing high-flow oxygen before induction, which builds an oxygen reserve and prolongs the safe apnea time during airway manipulation.

A six-level classification of a patient's overall health before anesthesia, ranging from a normal healthy patient to a brain-dead organ donor, used for risk communication rather than predicting outcome alone.

A bedside classification of visible oral structures with the patient seated, mouth open, and tongue protruded; higher classes suggest a more difficult laryngoscopic view.

An induction technique that minimizes the interval between loss of consciousness and tracheal intubation, usually with a fast-acting induction drug and neuromuscular blocker and minimal or no bag-mask ventilation.

Backward pressure applied to the cricoid cartilage to compress the upper esophagus and reduce passive regurgitation during induction; it is released once the airway is secured or if it impedes intubation.

A clinical situation in which a trained anesthesia provider has trouble with mask ventilation, supraglottic device placement, laryngoscopy, intubation, or front-of-neck access; it requires a pre-planned stepwise strategy.

An airway tube with a mask or cuff that sits above the larynx and seals the pharynx, providing ventilation without entering the trachea; it is a rescue option and a primary choice for short procedures.

The pressure of gas inside an airway tube's sealing cuff; excessive pressure against the tracheal mucosa reduces blood flow and can cause injury, so it is measured and kept within a safe range.

An automated sequence run at power-up that checks the anesthesia machine's internal circuits, valves, and sensors for leaks and calibration faults before clinical use.

A manual check of the breathing circuit, vaporizer connections, and machine from the common gas outlet forward, performed to confirm that no gas escapes before a case begins.

A mechanism that cuts off or reduces nitrous oxide and other gases when oxygen supply pressure falls, preventing delivery of a hypoxic mixture to the patient.

A carbon dioxide absorbent in the circle breathing system that removes exhaled carbon dioxide through a chemical reaction; exhaustion allows rebreathing and rising inspired carbon dioxide.

A low-flow breathing circuit in which exhaled gas passes through a carbon dioxide absorber and is partly reused, with unidirectional valves and a reservoir bag controlling gas flow.

A liquid anesthetic that evaporates at room temperature and is delivered in a carrier gas, producing dose-dependent unconsciousness; examples include sevoflurane, desflurane, and isoflurane.

A weak inhaled anesthetic and potent analgesic delivered as a gas; it is often combined with volatile agents but is avoided where gas-filled spaces could expand, such as bowel obstruction or pneumothorax.

An intravenous induction agent given as a milky white emulsion; it produces rapid hypnosis and dose-dependent respiratory depression and hypotension, and supports maintenance by infusion.

A pump system that uses a pharmacokinetic model to adjust drug delivery so that a chosen plasma or effect-site concentration is reached and maintained, commonly used with propofol and remifentanil.

A drug that interrupts transmission at the neuromuscular junction to produce skeletal muscle paralysis, used to facilitate intubation and surgery; it does not provide sedation or analgesia.

A modified cyclodextrin that encapsulates aminosteroid neuromuscular blockers such as rocuronium and vecuronium, rapidly reversing even deep block after a single calculated dose.

A peripheral nerve stimulation pattern of four supramaximal twitches used to assess the depth of neuromuscular block and to confirm adequate recovery before extubation.

Continuous measurement and display of inhaled and exhaled carbon dioxide over time, confirming tracheal tube placement, circuit integrity, ventilation, and cardiac output trends.

The partial pressure of carbon dioxide measured at the end of expiration, normally close to arterial values; a sudden fall may signal disconnection, embolism, or cardiac arrest.

A noninvasive optical method estimating arterial hemoglobin saturation by comparing light absorption through pulsatile tissue; it is unreliable with poor perfusion, motion, or abnormal hemoglobin.

A rare inherited hypermetabolic crisis triggered by volatile agents or succinylcholine, marked by rising temperature, masseter or generalized rigidity, hypercapnia, and acidosis; treatment is dantrolene plus supportive care.

Lung injury from inhaling gastric contents during anesthesia, causing bronchospasm, hypoxemia, and chemical inflammation; prevention includes fasting, positioning, and rapid sequence induction when indicated.

Reflex closure of the vocal cords, often during light anesthesia or after airway stimulation, producing partial or complete obstruction that may need jaw thrust, continuous positive airway pressure, or a small dose of muscle relaxant.

A monitored recovery area where patients are observed after anesthesia for airway patency, breathing, circulation, consciousness, pain, and nausea before discharge or transfer to a ward.

A discharge-readiness tool scoring activity, breathing, circulation, consciousness, and oxygen saturation, each from zero to two, with a total indicating fitness to leave the recovery area.

Nausea and vomiting occurring after anesthesia and surgery, driven by patient, surgical, and anesthetic factors; risk is reduced by avoiding triggers and giving prophylactic antiemetics.

The patient's voluntary agreement to a procedure after receiving understandable information about its nature, benefits, risks, and alternatives, documented before anesthesia begins.

The professional and legal duty to protect identifiable patient information from unauthorized disclosure, sharing it only with those involved in care or as required by law.

The contemporaneous legal document of a case, recording drugs, doses, vital signs, ventilation, fluids, events, and provider names; it supports patient safety review and quality audit.