Nitrous oxide: Still a role in anaesthesia?

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology

Volumn 9, Issue 4, 1996, Pages 279-284

  Ræder, Johan C ^a  

^a ULLEVÅL UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL   (Norway)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ANESTHETIC AGENT; CYANOCOBALAMIN; HYPNOTIC AGENT; NITROUS OXIDE;

ANALGESIA; ANESTHESIA; BRAIN FUNCTION; CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECT; DOSE RESPONSE; DRUG COST; DRUG EFFICACY; DRUG POTENCY; HUMAN; HYPOXIA; INHALATIONAL DRUG ADMINISTRATION; KIDNEY FUNCTION; LIVER FUNCTION; PRIORITY JOURNAL; RESPIRATION DEPRESSION; RESPIRATORY FUNCTION; REVIEW; VOMITING;

EID: 0029830657     PISSN: 09527907     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00001503-199608000-00002     Document Type: Review

References (73)

1. Heath KJ, Sadler P, Winn J, McFadzean WA: Influence of nitrous oxide • on propofol dosage and recovery after intravenous anaesthesia. Anaesthesia 1995, 50:1101-1102. This letter refers to data showing a dose reduction of propofol when nitrous oxide is used, without any increase in postoperative complications.
2. Lindekær AL, Skielboe M, Guldager H, Jensen EW: The influence of • nitrous oxide on propofol dosage and recovery after total intravenous anaesthesia for day-surgery. Anaesthesia 1995, 50:397-399. The addition of nitrous oxide to a 1-hour anaesthesia with propofol-alfentanil atracurium did not result in reduced propofol consumption, but prolonged the early recovery. The authors hypothesize that the alfentanil infusion may mask the nitrous oxide analgesic effect. Further, crude measurements of anaesthetic depth may obstruct an otherwise logical reduction in concomitant drugs.
3. Urban BW: Order despite a multitude of molecular anaesthetic • actions. Eur J Anaesthesiol 1995, 12:1-4. Introduction to a series of papers discussing the present knowledge about anaesthetic action at the cellular level.
4. Friedman Y, King B, Rampil IJ: Nitrous oxide depresses spinal motor neuron excitability in rats. Anesth Analg 1995, 80:S134.
5. Sun WZ, Schyu BC, Shieh JY: Nitrous oxide or halothane, or both, fail to suppress c-fos expression in rat spinal cord dorsal horn neurones after subcutaneous formalin. Br J Anaesth 1995, 76:99-105.
6. Horn JL, Janicki PK, Franks JJ: Nitrous oxide and xenon enhance phospholipid-N-methylation in rat brain synaptic plasma membranes. Life Sci 1995, 56:455-460.
7. Wachtel RE: Relative potencies of volatile anesthetics in altering the kinetics of ion channels in BC3H1 cells. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 1995, 275:1355-1361.
8. MacDonald AG, Ramsey RL: The effects of nitrous oxide on a glutamate-gated ion channel and their reversal by high pressure; a single channel analysis. Biochim Biophys Acta 1995, 1236:135-141.
9. Hara S, Kuhns ER, Ellenberger EA, Mueller JL, Shibuya T, Endo T, Quock RM: Involvement of nitric oxide in intraventricular beta-endorphin-induced neuronal release of methionine-enkephalin. Brain Res 1995, 675:190-194.
10. Finck AD, Samaniego E, Ngai SH: Nitrous oxide selectively releases • Met5-enkephalin and Met5-enkephalin-Arg6-Phe7 into canine third ventricular cerebrospinal fluid. Anesth Analg 1995, 80:664-670. The results support the hypothesis that nitrous oxide-induced analgesia involves the proenkephalin-derived family of endogenous opioid peptides.
11. Czech DA: Nitrous oxide induces feeding in the nondeprived rat that is antagonized by naltrexone. Physiol Behav 1995, 58:251-255.
12. Campbell DJ, Rowbotham DJ, Lambert DG: Do nitrous oxide and halothane influence opioid receptor binding in SH-SY5Y human neuroblastoma cells? Br J Anaesth 1995, 75:752-755.
13. Gyulai F, Firestone L, Mintun M, Winter P: Loci of N20 analgesia in the human brain: a PET study [Abstract]. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:163.
14. Zhao XJ, Sampath V, Caughey WS: Cytochrome c oxidase catalysis of the reduction of nitric oxide to nitrous oxide. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 1995, 212:1054-1060.
15. Singh RJ, Hogg N, Kalyanaraman B: Interaction of nitric oxide with photoexcited rose bengal: evidence for one-electron reduction of nitric oxide to nitroxyl anion. Arch Biochem Biophys 1995, 324:367-373.
16. Stenquist O: Nitrous oxide kinetics. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:757-760.
17. Eger EI: New inhaled anesthetics. Anesthesiology 1994, 80:906-922.
18. Cuypers H, Berghfer J, Zumft WG: Multiple nosZ promoters and aerobic expression of nos genes necessary for Pseudomonas stutzeri nitrous oxide reductase and assembly of its copper centers. Biochim Biophys Acta Gene Struct Expression 1995, 1264:183-190.
19. Armstrong PJ, Morton C, Sinclair W, Tiplady B: Effects of nitrous oxide • on physiological performance. A dose response study using inhalation of concentrations up to 15%. Psychopharmacology 1995, 117:486-490. 0-15% nitrous oxide was tested in volunteers. The Buschke Selective Reminding Task showed impairment to long-term recall at 3% nitrous oxide, whereas subjective measures, measurements of attention, psychomotor performance, and short-term recall showed impairment at 15%.
20. Mapleson WW: Effect of age on MAC in humans: a meta-analysis. Br • J Anaesth 1996, 76:179-185. A review of MAC data, including nitrous oxide with a MAC of 104% at the age of 40 years, declining by 6% per decade with increasing age.
21. Ræder JC: Total intravenous anaesthesia - free from nitrous oxide, free from problems? Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:769-770.
22. Dwyer R, Bennett HL, Eger EI, Heilbron D: Effects of isoflurane and nitrous oxide in subanesthetic concentrations on memory and responsiveness in volunteers. Anesthesiology 1992, 77:888-898.
23. Tomi K, Mashimo T, Tashiro C, Yagi M, Pak M, Nishimur S, Nishimura M, Yoshiya I: Alterations in pain threshold and psychomotor response associated with subanaesthetic concentrations of Inhalation anaesthetics in humans. Br J Anaesth 1993, 70:684-686.
24. Zacny JP, Yajnik S, Lichtor L, Klafta JM, Young CJ, Thapar P, Rupani G, • Coalson DW, Apfelbaum JL: The acute and residual concentrations of isoflurane/nitrous oxide combinations on cognitive and psychomotor performance in healthy volunteers. Anesth Analg 1996, 82:153-157. Isoflurane impaired performance more than nitrous oxide. 30% nitrous oxide with 0.2-0.4% isoflurane is a promising mixture for conscious sedation because of the rapid recovery within 5 min of cessation.
25. De Roode A, Jelicic M, Bonke B, Bovill JG: The effect of midazolam • premedication on Implicit memory activation during alfentanilnitrous oxide anaesthesia. Anaesthesia 1995, 50:191-194. Whereas a previous study with the same technique with 70% nitrous oxide, but without midazolam (0.1 mg/kg intramuscularly), showed a significant occurrence of implicit memory during anaesthesia, this study did not reveal any explicit or implicit memory of intraoperative events.
26. Sloan T, Rogers J: The electrophysiological effects of nitrous oxide and isoflurane are more than additive in the ketamine anesthetized baboon [Abstract]. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:508.
27. Stevens McCullough J, Morris LE, Casson H: Nitrous oxide hastens induction with desflurane, second gas effect? Anesthesiology 1995, 83:A317.
28. Ohryn M: Tympanic membrane rupture following general anesthesia with nitrous oxide: a case report AANA J 1995, 63:42-44.
29. Doyle WJ, Seroky JT, Alper CM: Gas exchange across the middle ear mucosa in monkeys. Estimation of exchange rate. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 1995, 121:887-892.
30. Joyce CJ, Baker AB, Parkinson R, Zacharias M: Nitrous oxide and the rate of gas uptake from an unventilated lung in dogs. Br J Anaesth 1996, 76:292-296.
31. Erkola O: Nitrous oxide: laparoscopic surgery, bowel function, and PONV. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:767-768.
32. Krogh B, Jensen JP, Henneberg SW, Hole P, Kronborg O: Nitrous oxide does not influence operating conditions or postoperative course in colonic surgery. Br J Anaesth 1994, 72:55-57.
33. Diemunsch P, Van Dorsselaer T, Mutter D, Diemunsch AM, Teller G, Van Dorsselaer A: Evolution of the nitrous oxide fraction in the carbon dioxide pneumoperitoneum during laparoscopy under general anesthesia [Abstract]. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:1085.
34. Hunter JG, Staheli J, Odssdottir M, Trus T: Nitrous oxide • pneumoperitoneum revisited. Is there a risk of combustion? Surg Endosc 1995, 9:501-504. In 20 patients, samples were drawn from peritoneal gas 30 min-2 h after the start of laparoscopic gastrointestinal procedures. No methane was detected but Hydrogen was detected in four patients; maximum concentration was 0.075%. For combustion to occur in a nitrous oxide environment, Hydrogen or methane must occupy 5.5% of the volume.
35. Fried E, Wolf GL, Sidebotham G, Cohen D, Cantelmi F: Explosion hazard during nitrous oxide anesthesia in intra-abdominal surgery [Abstract]. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:1080.
36. Guttormsen AB, Refsum H, Ueland PM: The interaction between nitrous oxide and cobalamin. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:753-756.
37. Nair CP, de AK, Darad R, Noronha JM: Possible involvement of Superoxide radical in biochemical lesions induced by nitrous oxide. Indian J Exp Biol 1995, 33:275-277.
38. Donaldson D, Meechan JG: The hazards of chronic exposure to • nitrous oxide: an update. Br Dent J 1995, 178:95-100. This review presents the evidence for problems related to reproduction in dental personnel working with chronic exposure to nitrous oxide in high concentration, for example without scavenging systems.
39. Hoerauf K, Koller C, Frohlich D, Taeger K, Hobbahn J: Exposure of personnel to nitrous oxide in a modern, climatized recovery room. Anaesthetist 1995, 44:590-594.
40. Stach DJ: Nitrous oxide sedation: understanding the benefits and risks. Am J Dent 1995, 8:47-50.
41. Rowland AS, Baird DD, Shore DL, Weinberg CR, Savitz DA, Wilcox AJ: • Nitrous oxide and spontaneous abortion in female dental assistants. Am J Epidemiol 1995, 141:531-538. A significant elevation in risk of spontaneous abortion was seen among women who worked with nitrous oxide for 3 or more hours per week in offices not using scavenging equipment.
42. Hadzic A, Glab K, Sanborn KV, Thys DM: Severe neurologic deficit •• after nitrous oxide anesthesia. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:863-866. A healthy female with an unrecognized vitamin B12 deficiency developed severe, but reversible, neuropathy after an 8-h nitrous oxide anaesthetic for plastic surgery. A review of similar cases is presented.
43. McMorrow AM, Adams RJ, Rubenstein MN: Combined system disease after nitrous oxide anaesthesia: a case report Neurology 1995, 45:1224-1225.
44. Kinsella LJ, Green R: "Anesthesia paresthetica": nitrous oxide-induced cobalamin deficiency. Neurology 1995, 45:1608-1610.
45. Lassen HCA, Henriksen E, Kristensen HS: Treatment of tetanus. Severe bone-marrow depression after prolonged nitrous oxide anaesthesia. Lancet 1956, 1:527-530.
46. Eger EI, Lampe GH, Wauk LZ, Whitendale P, Cahalan MK, Donegan JH: Clinical pharmacology of nitrous oxide: an argument for Its continued use. Anesth Analg 1990, 71:575-585.
47. Lederhaas G, Brocke-Utne JG, Negrin RS, Riley E, Brodsky JB: Is nitrous oxide safe for bone marrow harvest? Anesth Analg 1995, 80:770-772.
48. Dale O, Husum B: Nitrous oxide: a threat to personnel and global environment? Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:777-779.
49. Haraguchi N, Furusawa H, Takezaki R, Oi K: Inhalational sedation with sevoflurane: a comparative study with nitrous oxide. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1995, 53:24-26.
50. Litman RS, Berkowitz RJ, Ward DS: Levels of consciousness and ventilatory parameters in young children during sedation with oral midazolam and increasing concentrations of nitrous oxide [Abstract]. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:1182.
51. Matta BF, Lam AM: Nitrous oxide increases cerebral blood flow velocity during pharmacologically induced EEG silence in humans. J Neurosurg Anaesthesiol 1995, 7:89-93.
52. Strebel S, Kaufman M, Anselmi L, Schaefer HG: Nitrous oxide is a potent cerebrovasodilator in humans when added to isoflurane. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1995, 39:653-658.
53. Hoffman WE, Charbel FT, Edelman G, Albrecht RF, Ausman JI: Nitrous oxide added to isoflurane increases brain artery blood flow and low frequency brain electrical activity. J Neurosurg Anaesthesiol 1995, 7:82-88.
54. Hormann C, Scmidauer C, Haring HP, Scalow S, Seiwald M, Benzer A: Hyperventilation reverses the nitrous oxide-induced increase in cerebral blood flow velocity in human volunteers. Br J Anaesth 1995, 74:616-618.
55. 2O: of questionable value [Editorial]. J Neurosurg •• Anaesthesiol 1995, 7:79-81. A review of recent data on nitrous oxide and the central nervous system that discusses the unwanted effects of nitrous oxide, increased cerebral bloodflow and pressure, increased oxygen consumption and increased electroencephalogram activity.
56. Chinev S, Bkalova R, Peneva V, Uzunova P, Galabova T, Sokolova Z, • Ribarov S: Nitrous oxide with fentanyl and droperidol minimizes lipid peroxidation in the liver. Eur J Anaesthesiol 1995, 12:155-162. In rats, nitrous oxide results in lipid peroxidation in the liver, probably mediated by free radical products or activated oxygen species, or both. The mechanisms for lipid peroxidation after nitrous oxide may be different from other anaesthetics.
57. Hohner P, Reiz S: Nitrous oxide and the cardiovascular system. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:763-766.
58. Ikeda S: Impact of nitrous oxide on myocardial ischemia during isoflurane anesthesia: lymph flow study in dog. Anesth Analg 1995, 80:S204.
59. Vollmar B, Conzen P, Habazettl H, Adili F, Peter K: Does nitrous oxide • affect coronary microcirculation? An intravital microscopic study in the canine heart Anesth Analg 1995, 80:249-255. Nitrous oxide, under normotensive or hypotensive conditions, neither influences coronary arteriolar tone nor reduces or redistributes myocardial blood flow.
60. Houltz E, Caidahl K, Hellstrom A, Gustavsson T, Miocco I, Ricksten SE: • The effects of nitrous oxide on left ventricular systolic and diastolic performance before and after cardiopulmonary bypass: evaluation by computer-assisted two-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography in patients undergoing coronary artery surgery. Anesth Analg 1995, 81:243-248. Nitrous oxide reduced mean arterial pressure, heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output before and after cardiopulmonary bypass. Left ventricular global area ejection fraction was not changed by nitrous oxide, but regional wall motion was changed after cardiopulmonary bypass with nitrous oxide as well as a possible diastolic dysfunction caused by nitrous oxide.
61. Russel GB, Snider MT, Richard RB, Loomis JL: Hyperbaric nitrous oxide as a sole anesthetic agent in humans. Anesth Analg 1990, 90:289-295.
62. Cheam EW, Dob DO, Skelly AM, Lockwood GG: The effect of nitrous • oxide on the performance of psychomotor tests. Anaesthesia 1995, 50:764-768. Breathing nitrous oxide in 10-50% concentration has a significant effect on performance during a 100-min session. Recovery in all tests was complete 10 min after nitrous oxide was turned off, whereas subjective discomfort was evident for 8h. Two volunteers did not complete the study because of discomfort and vomiting.
63. Pandit UA, Malviya S, Lewis IH: Vomiting after outpatient tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in children: the role of nitrous oxide. Anesth Analg 1995, 80:230-233.
64. Splinter WM, Roberts DJ, Rhine EJ, MacNeill HB, Komocar L: Nitrous oxide does not increase vomiting in children after myringotomy. Can J Anaesth 1995, 42:274-276.
65. Alexander G, Bellefleur J, Brown M: The role of nitrous oxide in postoperative nausea and vomiting with desflurane and isoflurane. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:A27.
66. Tramer M, Moore A, McQuay H: Omitting nitrous oxide in general •• anaesthesia: meta-analysis of intraoperative awareness and postoperative emesis in randomized controlled trials. Br J Anaesth 1996, 76:186-193. In a review of 2478 patients, omitting nitrous oxide in patients with a high risk of emesis significantly reduced the risk of vomiting but not the risk of nausea or the overall incidence of emesis. In patients with a low risk, omitting nitrous oxide did not improve any emetic outcome parameter. Omitting nitrous oxide significantly increased the risk of awareness by a factor of 4.5.
67. Evans JK, Buckley SL, Alexander AH, Gilpin AT: Analgesia for the reduction of fractures in children: a comparison of nitrous oxide with intramuscular sedation. J Pediatr Orthop 1995, 15:73-77.
68. Irrestedt L: Current status of nitrous oxide for obstetric pain relief. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1994, 38:771-772.
69. Lin MA, Diehl DL, Kwok G, Bray H, Calmes S: Diagnostic upper endoscopy with nasally inhaled nitrous oxide. Anesthesiology 1995, 83:A42.
70. White M: Why total intravenous anaesthesia? Anaesth Pharmacol Rev 1995, 3:6-13.
71. Campbell C, Nahrwold ML, Miller DD: Clinical comparison of sevoflurane and isoflurane when administered with nitrous oxide for surgical procedures of Intermediate duration. Can J Anaesth 1995, 42:884-890.
72. Yurino M, Kimura H: Comparison of induction time and • characteristics between sevoflurane and sevoflurane/nitrous oxide. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1995, 39:356-358. Single-breath induction with nitrous oxide/sevoflurane was slightly (insignificantly) faster than with sevoflurane alone.
73. Yagi M, Mashimoto T, Kawaguchi T, Yoshiya I: Analgesic and hypnotic • effects of subanaesthetic concentrations of xenon in human volunteers: comparison with nitrous oxide. Br J Anaesth 1995, 74:670-673. At 0.3 MAC both agents provided analgesia to a heat stimulus, but xenon reduced response time to auditory stimuli. Naloxone did not alter the analgesic effect of either gas.