How can the elimination of anesthetic be hastened?

The elimination of anesthetic can be hastened by periodically bagging the animal with 100% oxygen. This method works by increasing the concentration of oxygen in the animal's lungs, which can enhance the process of anesthetic gas diffusion from the blood into the alveoli of the lungs. When bagging with pure oxygen, the higher partial pressure of oxygen helps to push out the anesthetic gas, allowing for quicker removal from the body through exhalation.

This approach is particularly effective because many anesthetic agents are eliminated through the respiratory system. By providing a higher oxygen concentration, it can facilitate more rapid clearance of these agents, leading to a faster recovery from anesthesia.

The other methods described do not directly enhance the elimination of anesthetic in the same way. Increasing the dosage of anesthetic would prolong the duration of effect, while reducing airflow would decrease the efficiency of anesthetic elimination. Applying topical anesthetics may provide localized pain relief but does not affect systemic anesthetic clearance.