Anesthesia Terms - A Glossary of Anesthesia Terms and Other Related Medical Terms

Anesthesia Terms Starting With "S"

Scott Needles: Some of the newer disposable epidural needles have introducer devices set into the hub of the needle that facilitate threading the... more
Second gas effect: The second gas effect usually refers to nitrous oxide combined with an inhalational agent. Because nitrous oxide is not soluble in... more
Segmental Blockade: An example involves the introduction of an epidural catheter and needle in the midthoracic region, to provide anesthesia or... more
Shunting: In pulmonary physiology, shunting denotes the process whereby desaturated, mixed venous blood from the right heart returns to the... more
Sick sinus syndrome: Sick sinus syndrome (SSS) is a type of bradycardia in which the sinoatrial (SA), or sinus node is not working as it should. The... more
Sinoatrial Node (SA Node): The sinoatrial node (SA node)is the impulse generating (pacemaker) tissue located in the right atrium of the heart. It is a group of... more
Sniffing Position: The patient should be supine in the sniffing position with the neck slightly to moderately flexed on to the chest, and extended at... more
Spinous Process: A slender projection from the back of a vertebra to which muscles and ligaments are attached. The spinous process marks the... more
Starling's Law of the Heart: The Starling law of the heart states that the more the ventricle is filled with blood during diastole (end-diastolic volume), the... more
Stellate Ganglion: The stellate ganglion refers to the ganglion formed by the fusion of the inferior cervical and the first thoracic ganglion as they... more
Strain Gauge Principle: Stretching a wire or silicone crystal changes its electrical resistance. more
Suprascapular Nerve Block: This block is useful for painful conditions arising from the shoulder (most commonly arthritis and bursitis). The suprascapular... more
Systemic Vascular Resistance (SVR): Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) refers to the resistance to blood flow offered by all of the systemic vasculature, excluding the... more