Surgery has become a lot more comfortable since the first demonstrations of ether anaesthesia in the 1840s. In October’s edition of Periodic Graphics in Chemical & Engineering News, we looked at the different types of anaesthesia, the compounds involved, and what we know about how they work. Click through to the C&EN site to view the full graphic.
Ever wondered what compounds help kitchen cleaners keep your kitchen surfaces bacteria free? Or about the compounds that help antiseptic creams do their job? In this graphic, we take a look at some of the compounds used for antisepsis and disinfection, and where they’re commonly used. There’s also a look at how they all work in the article below!
If you’ve ever had to undergo a surgical procedure, be it at the dentists or in a hospital, you’re likely to have encountered some of the molecules featured in today’s graphic. We’re already looked at inhalational anaesthetics in a previous graphic; today, we take a look at chemicals that can be injected in order to produce anaesthesia.
If you’ve ever needed a tooth out, or had surgery of any kind, chances are you’ll have experienced use of an inhalational anaesthetic. All of the compounds shown above can induce general anaesthesia, and a range have been utilised since the initial discovery of nitrous oxide in the mid-1800s. Often, intravenous drugs will be used for induction of anaesthesia, but inhalational agents may then be used to maintain this – this graphic looks at how the drugs in use for this purpose have varied over the years.