total intravenous anesthesia
An anesthetic technique in which all agents—including hypnotics, analgesics, and adjuncts—are delivered exclusively via the intravenous route, with no inhaled agents used for maintenance.
Full Definition
Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) avoids volatile agents entirely, relying on continuous infusions of intravenous drugs such as propofol and remifentanil, often guided by target-controlled infusion (TCI) systems. In dental anesthesiology, TIVA is favoured for procedures where nitrous oxide or volatile agents are impractical, for patients with malignant hyperthermia susceptibility, or where environmental scavenging of waste gases is limited. Editors must expand the abbreviation TIVA on first use and should ensure that 'intravenous' is not abbreviated to 'IV' within the expanded form at first mention. The technique is increasingly documented in outpatient dental and oral surgery manuscripts.
Usage
Usage note: Abbreviate as TIVA after first use. Do not confuse with TCI (target-controlled infusion), which is a delivery method that may be used within TIVA but is not synonymous with it.
In Context
- "Total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) with propofol and remifentanil was selected to avoid the risk of volatile-agent-triggered malignant hyperthermia." — Anaesthetic planning note
- "The TIVA protocol specified a propofol infusion of 6–10 mg/kg/h for maintenance of anesthesia." — Oral surgery clinical guideline