A wide variety of drugs are used in modern anaesthetic practice. Many are rarely used outside of anaesthesia, although others are used commonly by all disciplines. Some of the prominent ones include:

• local anaesthetics
• general anaesthetics
  • inhalational anaesthetics
    • volatile anaesthetics
      • desflurane
      • sevoflurane
      • isoflurane
      • halothane
      • enflurane
      • methoxyflurane
    • nitrous oxide
    • xenon
  • intravenous anaesthetics
    • propofol
    • etomidate
    • barbiturates
      • methohexital
      • thiopentone/thiopental
    • benzodiazepines
      • midazolam
      • diazepam
    • ketamine
• analgesics
  • opioids
    • morphine
    • fentanyl
    • alfentanil
    • sufentanil
    • remifentanil
    • methadone
    • meperidine / pethidine
  • NSAIDs
• muscle relaxants
  • depolarising muscle relaxants
    • succinylcholine, also known as suxamethonium
  • nondepolarising (curare-like) muscle relaxants
    • atracurium
    • cisatracurium
    • vecuronium
    • rocuronium
    • mivacurium
    • turbocuranine
    • pancuronium bromide
• vasoconstrictors, also known as vasopressors
  • phenylephrine
  • ephedrine
  • metaraminol
• antiemetics: phenothiazines, e.g.: prochlorperazine, promethazine, cyclizine;

butyrophenones, e.g.: droperidol; antihistamines, e.g.: dimenhydrinate (old); newer agents: ondansetron and tropisetron; steroids, e.g.: dexamethasone; and lastly, metoclopramide (variable efficacy). A local anesthetic is a drug that reversibly inhibits the propagation of signals along nerves. ... A general anaesthetic drug is an anaesthetic (or anesthetic AE) drug that brings about a reversible loss of consciousness. ... Inhalational anaesthetics are gases or vapours possessing anaesthetic qualities. ... The volatile anaesthetics are a class of general anaesthetic drugs. ... Desflurane is a highly flourinated ether used for maintenance of general anaesthesia. ... Sevoflurane (2, 2, 2-trifluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl) ethyl ether), also called fluoromethyl, is a halogenated ether used for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia. ... Isoflurane (1-chloro-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl difluoromethyl ether) is a halogenated ether used for inhalation anesthesia. ... Structural formula of halothane Halothane vapour is an inhalational general anaesthetic. ... Enflurane is an outdated halogenated ether that was commonly used for inhalation anesthesia during the 1970s and 1980s. ... Nitrous oxide, also known as dinitrogen oxide or dinitrogen monoxide, is a chemical compound with chemical formula N2O. Under room conditions it is a colourless non-flammable gas, with a pleasant, slightly sweet odor. ... General Name, Symbol, Number xenon, Xe, 54 Chemical series noble gases Group, Period, Block 18, 5, p Appearance colorless Atomic mass 131. ... Propofol is an intravenous anesthetic agent used for the induction of general anesthesia in adult patients and pediatric patients older than 3 years of age; maintenance of general anesthesia in adult patients and pediatric patients older than 2 months of age; and intensive care unit (ICU) sedation for intubated, mechanically... Barbiturates are drugs that act as central nervous system (CNS) depressants, and by virtue of this they produce a wide spectrum of effects, from mild sedation to anesthesia. ... Sodium thiopental (also called sodium pentothal (™ of Abbott Laboratories), thiopental (or thiopentone) sodium) is a rapid-onset, short-acting barbiturate general anesthetic. ... Sodium thiopental (also called sodium pentothal (™ of Abbott Laboratories), thiopental (or thiopentone) sodium) is a rapid-onset, short-acting barbiturate general anesthetic. ... The benzodiazepines are a class of drugs with hypnotic, anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, amnestic and muscle relaxant properties. ... Midazolam, also known by the trade names Versed®, Hypnovel® and Dormicum®, is a benzodiazepine drug with an imidazole structure. ... Diazepam, brand names: Valium, Seduxen, in Europe Apozepam, Diapam, is a 1,4-benzodiazepine derivative, which possesses anxiolytic, anticonvulsant, sedative and skeletal muscle relaxant properties. ... Ketamine is a general dissociative anaesthetic for human and veterinary use. ... An analgesic (colloquially known as painkiller) is any member of the diverse group of drugs used to relieve pain and to achieve analgesia. ... An opioid is any agent that binds to opioid receptors found principally in the central nervous system and gastrointestinal tract. ... Morphine (INN), the principal active agent in opium, is a powerful opioid analgesic drug. ... Fentanyl is an opioid analgesic, first synthesized in Belgium in the late 1950s, with an analgesic potency of about 80 times that of morphine. ... Alfentanil (Alfenta) is a parenteral short-acting opioid painkiller, used for anaesthesia in surgery. ... Sufentanil is a drug that belongs to the class of drugs known as the opioid analgesic drugs. ... Some factual claims in this article or section need to be verified. ... Methadone is a synthetic opioid analgesic synthesized in 1937 by German scientists Max Bockmühl and Gustav Ehrhart at IG Farben (Hoechst-Am-Main) who were searching for an analgesic that would be easier to use during surgery and also have low addiction potential. ... Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, usually abbreviated to NSAIDs, are drugs with analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory effects - they reduce pain, fever and inflammation. ... In medicine, a muscle relaxant is a drug that causes skeletal muscle contraction to cease. ... Suxamethonium chloride (also known as succinylcholine, or scoline) is a white crystalline substance, it is odourless and highly soluble in water. ... Suxamethonium chloride (also known as succinylcholine, or scoline) is a white crystalline substance, it is odourless and highly soluble in water. ... Strychnos toxifera by Koehler 1887 Curare refers to the alkaloid containing substance obtained from one of several plants, the purified products of which are used as skeletal muscle relaxants. ... Vecuronium Bromide is a muscle relaxant in the category of non depolarising neuromuscular blocking agents. ... Pancuronium bromide is a chemical compound, used in medicine with the brand name Pavulon® (Organon Pharmaceuticals). ... A vasoconstrictor is any substance that acts to constrict blood vessels, i. ... Phenylephrine hydrochloride is an α-agonist used medically to increase blood pressure, as a nasal decongestant and also to dilate the pupil. ... Ephedrine (EPH) is a sympathomimetic amine commonly used as a decongestant. ... An antiemetic is a drug that is effective against vomiting and nausea. ...