general anesthesia

noun

: anesthesia affecting the entire body and accompanied by loss of consciousness compare local anesthesia
general anesthetic noun

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web This doesn’t involve bowel prep, and typically you’ll be given liquid anesthesia to numb your throat and be put under a sedative—not general anesthesia. Amy Marturana Winderl, SELF, 13 Jan. 2022 All of this happened under general anesthesia, and the donor would typically spend one to two nights in a hospital for observation. Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 17 Feb. 2023 But after nearly 40 years in the operating room, Kane wanted to prove that, in certain cases, local anesthetic could be used as an alternative to the riskier general anesthesia. Allison Futterman, Discover Magazine, 14 Oct. 2021 Endoscopic removal under general anesthesia is the treatment method recommended for foreign bodies impacted at the cricopharyngeus or esophagus. Seriously Science, Discover Magazine, 16 Sep. 2015 The procedure takes only about two or three minutes, Obeng says, and patients don't have to be put under general anesthesia for it. Vanessa Etienne, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2022 Invasive procedures that take place in operating rooms with patients under general anesthesia were counted as major surgeries. Judith Graham, CNN, 25 Nov. 2022 Tazz was covered in bandages and had to return to the vet every five days to have her dressings changed under general anesthesia. Tess Williams, Anchorage Daily News, 4 Nov. 2022 Tubal ligation and bilateral salpingectomy are surgical procedures (typically outpatient) that will require general anesthesia. Lane Gillespie, SELF, 29 Sep. 2022 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'general anesthesia.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

1881, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of general anesthesia was in 1881

Dictionary Entries Near general anesthesia

Cite this Entry

“General anesthesia.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/general%20anesthesia. Accessed 26 Mar. 2023.

Medical Definition

general anesthesia

noun
: anesthesia affecting the entire body and accompanied by loss of consciousness
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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