According to the American Association of Nurse Anesthetists, medical providers administer a yearly total of approx. 27 million anesthetics. This is just one piece of evidence that supports the critical role for anesthetics in both the medical field and the pharmaceutical industry. Seeing a significant rise in use over the last few decades, anesthetics have in parallel become more sophisticated in their biochemistry. In particular, their ability to contain or work with emulsions permits for safer overall function. Keep reading to gain an overview understanding of how anesthetics relate to emulsions, and how you as a researcher can support their intertwining functions.
Inhalation of halogenated anesthetics containing lipid emulsions can protect heart tissue from damage. Inhalation is the more accepted route to a drug delivery system that may protect myocardial tissue from injury during an ischemic attack. The system works by using lipid emulsions that carry the active ingredient to its target tissue, which causes an accelerated effect. Interestingly, the same study that came out with these results also stumbled upon the knowledge that emulsion administration prior to an ischemic stimulus actually confers protection against heart attack. (1)
Lipid emulsions can combat local anesthetic toxicity. Although uncommon, anesthetic toxicity due to accidental overdose is concerning to both medical professionals and patients. While medical professionals should be aware of toxicity symptoms, they should also be aware of ways to combat the condition. One significant way to combat toxicity is to administer lipid emulsion therapy, which is an intravenous systemic lipid emulsion. Similar to halogenated anesthetics mentioned above, this method works by forming an intravascular lipid phase that can absorb lipophilic toxins and thus alleviate free toxin levels. (2)
Emulsions such as those directly related to anesthetics require specific mixing and particle size reduction equipment, such as a homogenizer. BEE International Technology is trusted by pharmaceutical researchers and lab managers around the world. We deliver an array of key benefits, such as production of nano/micro emulsions and dispersions and lipids and suspensions; these can be used for applications such as injectables, targeted drug delivery, inhalants, time release, anesthetics, and importantly, vaccinations.
In addition, we have extensive experience in the challenges that our pharmaceutical customers face as they transition from concept, through to R&D, clinical trials, all-important FDA approval and finally, to manufacturing.
Learn more about how Pion can support your anesthetic-related work by checking out our pharmaceutical process equipment.
