Stages of Anesthesia

 The different stages of anesthesia are:

Stage I: Analgesia and conscious sedation

Stage II: Stage of delirium

Stage III: Stage of Surgical Anesthesia

                Plane I: Pupils dilate progressively with the depth of anesthesia. Lid reflex, swallowing,                                            retching  and vomitting gets abolished. Corneal reflex is present. Conjunctival                                          reflex is absent. Pharyngeal reflex is lost.

                 Plane II: Eye balls fixed, laryngeal reflexes are also abolished.

                 Plane III: Asynchrony between thoracic and abdominal movements. Progressive paralysis of                                       intercostal muscles, Pupillary light reflex and corneal reflex are lost.

                 Plane IV: Complete intercostal muscle paralysis. Pupils are dilated. Muscles are flaccid.

Stage IV: Stage of respiratory paralysis

Minor surgeries like dental extractions are carried out in stage I or stage of analgesia. Major surgeries are carried out on Plane III of Stage III of General Anesthesia or the stage of Surgical Anesthesia. 

CLICK HERE TO PRACTICE MCQs