Chapter 13
Drugs for Pain Management: Opioid Analgesics and General Anesthetics
Chapter 13
Drugs for Pain Management: Opioid Analgesics and General Anesthetics
Opioid receptors respond to endogenous or synthetic opioids. They are distributed across peripheral and central nervous systems and nonneuronal cells like …
Pain, a complex neurochemical response to harmful stimuli, is central to numerous clinical pathologies and can present in acute or chronic forms.
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Opioids are a diverse group of pain-relieving drugs categorized as natural, synthetic, or semisynthetic compounds.
Natural opioids, known as opiates, are …
Semisynthetic opioids, derived from morphine, are utilized for pain management.
Their modified structures enhance their efficacy and alter the …
Anesthesia induces temporary loss of sensation and awareness through various agents.
There are different types of anesthesia, including general, local, …
Patients benefit from carefully managed sedation levels —characterized by distinct physiological changes— during medical procedures.
General …
Parenteral anesthetics rapidly induce general anesthesia when infused intravenously.
Most agents target GABAA receptors for sedation and hypnotic effects. …
Inhalation anesthetics induce general anesthesia through inhaled gases and volatile liquids that diffuse rapidly across the pulmonary alveoli and
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One desirable endpoint of general anesthesia is the state of unconsciousness, also known as hypnosis. Defining the hypnotic state in animals is less …
Opioid-induced hyperalgesia and tolerance severely impact the clinical efficacy of opiates as pain relievers in animals and humans. The molecular …
Pain is a salient sensory experience with affective and cognitive dimensions. However, central mechanisms for pain remain poorly understood, hindering the …