ketamine + sevoflurane

Ketamine + sevoflurane is an anesthetic combination used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. Ketamine (typically administered intravenously or intramuscularly) is used for induction, while sevoflurane (an inhalational anesthetic) is used for maintenance. This combination provides safe, effective, and controllable anesthesia in various patient populations, including injured loggerhead sea turtles, children undergoing cardiac procedures, and patients requiring general anesthesia for surgical procedures[1][4]. The combination offers several advantages: - Provides stable hemodynamics during anesthesia induction and intubation[5] - Reduces the risk of bronchospasm in asthmatic children[3] - Allows for controlled anesthesia with predictable recovery times[4] - Maintains adequate analgesia while providing muscle relaxation when needed[1][8] Ketamine acts primarily as an NMDA receptor antagonist, producing dissociative anesthesia characterized by profound analgesia, normal pharyngeal-laryngeal reflexes, and cardiovascular stimulation[8]. Sevoflurane works by enhancing inhibitory postsynaptic channel activity by binding to GABA receptors and inhibiting excitatory synaptic channel activity[2].