anesthetic

    Article

    A substance used in medical procedures to paralyze sensory nerve endings and/or nerve fibers, thus producing loss of sensation. Anesthetic substances enable patients to undergo operations and other invasive procedures that involve severe pain. Local anesthesia is used to numb a specific, small part of the body, while general anesthesia, which is used in major surgeries, affects the whole body and induces a complete loss of consciousness.

    Photo Credit

    "Operating room anesthetic station, February 14, 2013" by Coronation Dental Specialty Group is licensed under CC BY-SA.

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    References

     
    Bloom, Floyd E.
         2015   Anesthetic. Encyclopedia Britannica Online.
             http://www.britannica.com/Ebchecked/topic/24338/anesthetic, accessed April 20, 2015.

    Medical Dictionary: The Free Dictionary
         2015   Anesthetic. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/anesthetic, accessed
              April 20, 2015.