Cold anesthesia

Cold anesthesia is a form of local anesthesia in which the affected areas are made insensitive to pain through cold, which affects the nerve cell processes and thus the nerve function for a certain period of time . Solid carbon dioxide or ethyl chloride , introduced in 1888 by the Geneva doctor Camille Redard (1841-1910) as a cold local anesthetic, is used ; The latter usually in the form of a spray, the so-called ice spray . Ice sprays are often used (for example in football) for sports injuries such as bruises and sprains or piercing , but also for cryotherapy in severe rheumatism . However, cold anesthesia can cause tissue damage.

Ordinary water ice (ice packs), which melts at a temperature of 0 ° C, can be used to achieve anesthesia or at least a significant reduction in pain sensation ; the risk of tissue damage is significantly lower.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Reinhard Larsen: Anesthesia and intensive medicine in cardiac, thoracic and vascular surgery. (1st edition 1986) 5th edition. Springer, Berlin / Heidelberg / New York et al. 1999, ISBN 3-540-65024-5 , p. 529 ( cryoanalgesia ).
2. ↑ Christoph Weißer: Anesthesia. In: Werner E. Gerabek, Bernhard D. Haage, Gundolf Keil, Wolfgang Wegner (eds.): Enzyklopädie Medizingeschichte . De Gruyter, Berlin 2005, ISBN 3-11-015714-4 , p. 54 f., Here: p. 54.

This article is about a health issue. It is not used for self-diagnosis and does not replace a diagnosis by a doctor. Please note the information on health issues !