About anaesthesia

Anaesthesia is medicine that helps your child feel no pain during a medical procedure or surgery.

There are different types of anaesthesia medicine. Some make you very sleepy or even fully asleep. Others numb a specific part of your body, like a leg or an arm.

A special doctor called an Anaesthetist gives this type of medicine. They work with nurses and other health professionals to care for your child before, during, and after the procedure or surgery.

Anaesthesia is very safe. Sometimes kids feel sick or sleepy afterward, but serious problems are very rare.

Premedication

Premedication (or a premed) is the name for medicine that is sometimes given before an anaesthetic. Not all children need a premed.

Some examples of premeds are:

• Sedatives: if your child is very anxious, they might find it helpful to have something first that makes them feel more relaxed.
• Pain medication: paracetamol (e.g. Panadol® or Dymadon®) is commonly given and will help with pain after the procedure.
• Local anaesthetic cream: for some children, the start of the anaesthetic involves a needle (or cannula). Local anaesthetic cream is used to make the skin numb so that this needle doesn’t hurt.