[vhfpmr (OP)]

One anaesthetic: injected into the arm, count down 10 9 8 7.....gone.
Another: injection in the arm, remain awake for several minutes, then a mask on, inhale a solvent smelling gas for several more minutes, then gone.

What's the difference here, because according to the record they're both sevoflurane?

[chiralSPO]

sevoflurane would probably be administered by mask in both cases, no?

[Bored chemist]

Sevoflurane is a volatile liquid and the vapour would be the  "

solvent smelling gas

.

They sometimes use a different anaesthetic for different bits of the anaesthesia.
So they might inject something very quick-acting to get you unconscious quickly  (The semi conscious stage isn't always nice) and then use sevoflurane  to maintain the anesthesia (because it's well tolerated, and controllable). That's the "count backwards from 10 version.

If they get the first bit "not quite right" - i.e. they manage to miss the vein- you would get the other experience.
Or, (hopefully more likely) the injection in that case wasn't an anaesthetic but some other drug. They commonly use things like atropine which reduces production of saliva etc which is useful if you aren't wake enough to swallow.

[evan_au]

They often mix it up a bit, so although the main ingredient is the same, results may differ.

Like a Martini and a Singapore Sling.

[vhfpmr (OP)]

sevoflurane would probably be administered by mask in both cases, no?

They told me they were doing the anaesthetic differently to usual, and they did do it differently.