TL;DR

Types of Anesthesia: General (unconsciousness), regional (nerve blocks, spinal, epidural), and local anesthesia.

By Valenke Exam Prep Team·Last updated 2026-06-02

Types of Anesthesia

CST SURGICAL TECH

Definition

General (unconsciousness), regional (nerve blocks, spinal, epidural), and local anesthesia.

Related Procedures

Related surgical procedures and specimen handling requirements:

Frozen section: fresh specimen (no fixative) sent immediately to pathology for rapid diagnosis (15-20 min)
Stones (renal, gallstones): send dry, no fixative, chemical analysis requires dry specimen
Culture specimens: send in sterile container, anaerobic transport medium if indicated
Label all specimen containers in the OR: patient name, MRN, site, type of tissue, date

Clinical Significance

In the surgical setting, types of anesthesia directly impacts patient safety and surgical outcomes. Relevant sterile field principles include:

Edges of anything that encloses sterile contents are considered unsterile (1-inch border)
Only sterile items may be placed on a sterile field
If the sterility of an item is in doubt, consider it contaminated
Sterile persons touch only sterile items; unsterile persons touch only unsterile items

Troubleshooting

When types of anesthesia does not go as expected, systematically review each step of the procedure. Check equipment calibration, verify technique, and repeat the measurement if results seem inconsistent with the clinical picture. Report discrepancies to the supervisor rather than guessing at the correct value.

Exam Focus Areas

On the Cst Surgical Tech exam(s), questions about types of anesthesia typically test:

Counting procedures and protocols for discrepancies
Sterile technique maintenance and contamination recognition
Sterilization parameters and monitoring methods

Why It Matters

Anesthesia types and surgical tech role tested on CST exam.

Related Terms

Surgical Pharmacology Airway Management

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Frequently Asked Questions

What sterilization method is used for equipment related to types of anesthesia?▼

For types of anesthesia: ETO (ethylene oxide): Chemical gas sterilization. Parameters: 600mg/L concentration, 130 F, 2-5 hours exposure, 8-12 hours aeration. For heat/moisture-sensitive items.

What instruments are used for types of anesthesia?▼

For types of anesthesia: Balfour retractor (Retraction): Self-retaining abdominal retractor with lateral and bladder blades. Army-Navy retractor (Retraction): Shallow wound retraction, handheld, double-ended. Bovie (ESU) (Electrosurgery): Cut (continuous waveform) and coag (interrupted waveform) modes for hemostasis.

What sterile technique rules apply to types of anesthesia?▼

For types of anesthesia: Only sterile items may be placed on a sterile field. Gowns are considered sterile from chest to waist level, sleeves from 2 inches above the elbow to the cuff. Sterile persons touch only sterile items; unsterile persons touch only unsterile items.