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Discussion

MAC Anesthesia?

  • Expert

Hi All,

Can someone help me out with an explanation of MAC anesthesia -- an explanation that, as a student nurse, I can understand. All I have found was that it stands for Monitored Anesthesia Care. I know I am ignorant, but isn't all anesthesia monitored?

I ask because I had a procedure on my knee today. Initially I was to have a general anesthetic but I have neck issues which make me a very tough intubation candidate. So the anesthesiologist told me, on the way to the OR, that I was having "MAC", not a general, and I needn't worry about being intubated.

Is it just local w/ sedation?

So any clues? It was great by the way because I did not feel like poo when I came to.

Featured Replies

In simple terms, MAC occupies the grey area between moderate sedation/conscious sedation and general anesthesia. Think of a continuum of least invasive/potentially dangerous to most. On one side, you typically have an awake patient who is breathing with intact reflexes, while on the other you have an unresponsive patient who requires airway protection.

Conscious sedation/moderate sedation---> MAC ---> General Anesthesia.

  • Author
  • Expert

Thank you!

Some people who have MACs are so deeply asleep(but maintain their own airway) they think they had a general. Some patients are awake for almost the whole procedure. Some doctors will return a patient and tell us the the patient had a "Big MAC" that is they were very very sedated but maintained their own airway.

It is a great type of anesthesia for a lot of outpatient procedures. Usually the doctors at my facility use propofol with fentanyl and versed for a MAC, for conscious sedation they usually use fentanyl and versed.

Definitely the way to go if you have a potential airway issue. Hope your knee is better. :)

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