How long does it take to recover from general anesthesia?

General anesthesia is a very common phenomenon in surgery. Generally speaking, general anesthesia is usually used to avoid pain in patients during surgery. However, the use of general anesthesia in surgery needs to be determined according to the patient's condition and physical condition. Not everyone or every surgery requires general anesthesia. General anesthesia has certain risks. If a surgery is performed under general anesthesia, how long does it usually take to recover?

How long does it take to recover from general anesthesia?

How long it usually takes to recover from general anesthesia surgery actually depends on the individual's physical condition and the specific medications used by the anesthesiologist. Generally, the patient will begin to slowly wake up 3 to 10 minutes after the anesthesia stops and the surgery ends. However, some special physical conditions, such as some patients with poor physical fitness, especially elderly patients, may take a longer time to recover, and may not recover about 30 minutes after the end of anesthesia.

Normally, during general anesthesia surgery, the patient is usually awake when leaving the operating room. Some patients may need six or eight hours for the anesthetic to be completely metabolized before they slowly wake up. Therefore, the recovery time during general anesthesia surgery varies from person to person.

What nursing matters should be paid attention to during the recovery period of general anesthesia

1. Close observation

It is usually carried out in the recovery room or intensive care unit, with dedicated care. Blood pressure, pulse, and respiration will be measured every 15-30 minutes until the patient is stable and awake.

2. Maintain respiratory function

To prevent suffocation caused by accidental aspiration of vomiting, after general anesthesia, the patient should lie on his side or lie flat without a pillow with his head turned to one side. If there is vomit, suck it out promptly. To prevent the tongue from falling back and snoring, you can lift the lower jaw or use an oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal ventilation tube. When laryngeal spasm occurs and a sharp stridor is heard, the cause should be removed immediately and pressurized oxygen should be given. If necessary, cricothyroidotomy should be performed to give oxygen.

3. Maintain circulatory function

Attention should be paid to monitoring blood pressure, pulse, heart rhythm, and electrocardiogram, and changes in the patient should be noted at any time. If blood pressure is too low, infusion and postoperative bleeding should be checked.

How long will it take to wake up after general anesthesia surgery? Because everyone's physical condition is different and their tolerance to anesthetics is also different, the time to wake up is not exactly the same. Just pay attention to observation after general anesthesia. The patient will slowly return to normal, and good care must be provided after the operation. During surgery, your body will be exposed for a long time and your body temperature will be relatively low after the surgery, so you must keep warm.