Anesthetic Pump Techniques Versus the Intermittent Bolus: What the Oral Surgeon Needs to Know.

The most popular agents in use for office-based anesthesia are propofol, ketamine, and remifentanil, which have the desirable properties of rapid onset and short duration of action. A useful parameter in assessing these agents is the context-sensitive half-time. These anesthetic agents demonstrate relatively low, flat plots compared with older agents. For delivery of intravenous anesthetics, oral and maxillofacial surgeons have relied small incremental boluses with great success. However, relatively simple syringe infusion pumps can provide an even "smoother" anesthetic. This article familiarizes oral and maxillofacial surgeons with the advantages of infusion pumps and provides examples of their use.