6-7. DRYING AGENTS
It is sometimes advantageous during an operation to have the patient's mucous
membranes (that is, nose, throat) dry. Drying agents are administered for just this
reason. You are probably familiar with the use of drying agents in certain over-the-
counter cold medications. Following are two commonly used drying medications:
a.
Atropine sulfate.
Glycopyrrolate (Robinul).
b.
6-8. NEUROMUSCULAR BLOCKING AGENTS
In some types of surgery (for example, abdominal surgery) it is highly
advantageous to have the patient's skeletal muscles (for example, abdominal surgery)
in a state of relaxation. Most general anesthetic agents do not produce a sufficient level
of skeletal muscle relaxation. Therefore, neuromuscular blocking agents are
administered to achieve the desired muscle relaxation effects. Two commonly used
neuromuscular blocking agents:
Vecuronium (Norcuron).
a.
Succinylcholine (Anectine).
b.
6-9. SEDATIVE AND HYPNOTIC AGENTS
To ensure a good night's sleep prior to a surgical procedure, patients are
sometimes administered either a sedative or a hypnotic agent. Agents commonly used
for this purpose are:
Pentobarbital (Nembutal).
a.
Secobarbital (Seconal).
b.
6-10. ANTIANXIETY AGENTS
As one might expect, some patients are highly anxious about upcoming surgical
procedures. Such increased anxiety interferes with the functioning of the patient
(interferes with rest and decreases appetite). Anti-anxiety agents help to control this
anxiety. Diazepam (Valium) is sometimes used to control anxiety.
MD0804
6-5