In planning to administer a gaseous anesthetic to a patient,
A) why mus the anthesiologist take into account the fact that during surgery the gaseous anesthetic is used both at room temperature (18C) and at the patients body temperature (37C)?
B) What problems might arise if the anesthesiologist did not allow for the patients higher body temperature?
I tried doing this problem but it doesnt make sense to me. I think I'm supposed to use Charles's law: V divided by T = K
can you help please?
Thanks
Yes, that will do.
V = k T
as T goes up, the volume gets big.
If the gas is in your lungs, your lungs get big.
This is not good.
Divers call it "air embolism" when they do not breathe out coming up. (The other Law, Boyle's, P V = k, you put this all together into the ideal gas law, PV/T = n R where n is number of moles of gas and R is the "gas constant") The gas in their lungs expands, and if they are not re-compressed quickly and treated, they die.
Of course, I'd be happy to help explain the situation.
A) The anesthesiologist must consider the fact that during surgery, the gaseous anesthetic is used at both room temperature (18°C) and the patient's body temperature (37°C) for several reasons. One important consideration is that temperature affects the volume of a gas. According to Charles's Law, at a constant pressure, the volume of a gas is directly proportional to its absolute temperature. This means that as temperature increases, the volume of the gas also increases.
During surgery, the anesthesiologist administers the gaseous anesthetic to the patient through a mask or breathing circuit. The gas needs to be filled into the anesthesia machine and then delivered to the patient. If the anesthetic gas is initially stored at room temperature (18°C) and then administered to the patient at their body temperature (37°C), there will be a change in temperature.
If the anesthesiologist does not take into account this change in temperature, it can lead to inaccurate dosing of the anesthetic gas. Since the volume of the gas is directly proportional to its temperature, if the anesthetic gas is warmer when it enters the patient's body, it will occupy a larger volume compared to when it was at room temperature. As a result, the concentration of the anesthetic gas delivered to the patient may be different than the intended concentration. This can potentially lead to inadequate anesthesia or undesirable effects.
B) If the anesthesiologist does not allow for the patient's higher body temperature, it can lead to problems such as over-dosing or under-dosing of the anesthetic. If the anesthetic gas is administered assuming it will occupy the same volume at both room temperature and the patient's body temperature, there will be a discrepancy between the intended concentration and the actual concentration delivered to the patient.
If the anesthetic gas is underestimated, the patient may not receive enough anesthesia, leading to incomplete sedation or awareness during surgery. This can cause patient discomfort, pain, anxiety, or even potential complications due to the lack of proper anesthesia.
On the other hand, if the anesthetic gas is overestimated, the patient may receive an excessive dose of the anesthetic. This can lead to an increased risk of side effects, overdose, or anesthesia-related complications. Additionally, over-dosing can lead to prolonged recovery and delayed wake-up times, which is not desirable for patient safety and well-being.
Therefore, it is crucial for the anesthesiologist to consider the patient's higher body temperature and account for the volume changes that occur based on temperature variations during the administration of gaseous anesthetics.
Note: Charles's Law equation (V divided by T = K) you mentioned is correct and applicable here. It represents the relationship between volume (V) and temperature (T) of a gas, where K is a constant.