Nitrous oxide: Still useful in the year 2000?

Current Opinion in Anaesthesiology

Volumn 12, Issue 4, 1999, Pages 461-466

  James, Michael P M ^a  

^a UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN   (South Africa)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

INHALATION ANESTHETIC AGENT; NITROUS OXIDE;

BLOOD FLOW VELOCITY; BRAIN BLOOD FLOW; GAS EMBOLISM; GENETIC DAMAGE; HUMAN; INHALATIONAL DRUG ADMINISTRATION; INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION; METABOLIC DISORDER; MIDDLE CEREBRAL ARTERY; NAUSEA; NEUROTOXICITY; PARTITION COEFFICIENT; PRACTICE GUIDELINE; PRIORITY JOURNAL; REVIEW; TERATOGENICITY; VOMITING; WELLBEING;

EID: 0032749376     PISSN: 09527907     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1097/00001503-199908000-00012     Document Type: Review

References (60)

1. Eger II 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.
2. Misfeldt BB, Jorgensen PB, Rishoj M. The effect of nitrous oxide and halothane upon the intracranial pressure in hypocapnic patients with intracranial disorders. Br J Anaesth 1974; 46:853-858.
3. Mathew RJ, Wilson WH, Humphreys D, Lowe JV. Effect of nitrous oxide on cerebral blood velocity while reclining and standing. Biol Psychiatry 1997; 41:979-984.
4. Reinstrup P, Ryding E, Algotsson L, Berntman L, Uski T. Regional cerebral blood flow (SPECT) during anaesthesia with isoflurane and nitrous oxide in humans, Br J Anaesth 1997; 78:407-411.
5. 2O in unrestrained rats. Anesthesiology 1990; 73:269-272.
6. Strebel S, Kaufmann M, Anselmi L, Schaefer HG. Nitrous oxide is a potent cerebrovasodilator in humans when added to isoflurane. A transcranial Doppler study. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1995; 39:653-659.
7. Cho S, Fujigaki T, Uchiyama Y, Fukusaki M, Shibata O, Sumíkawa K. Effects of sevoflurane with and without nitrous oxide on human cerebral circulation. Transcranial Doppler study. Anesthesiology 1996; 85:755-760.
8. Marta BF, Lam AM Nitrous oxide increases cerebral blood flow velocity during pharmacologically induced EEG silence in humans. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 1995; 7:89-93.
9. Hormann C, Schmidauer C, Haring HP, Schalow 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.
10. Hormann C, Schmidauer C, Kolbitsch C, Kofler A, Benzer A. Effects of normo- and hypocapnic nitrous oxide inhalation on cerebral blood flow velocity in patients with brain tumors. J Neurosurg Anesthesiol 1997; 9:141-145.
11. 2O to ventilated patients with raised intracranial pressure may have adverse effects on cerebral blood flow and intracranial pressure.
12. Cunitz G. Early management of head injury. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1997; 111:46-47.
13. Amorim P, Chambers G, Cottrell J, Kass IS. Nitrous oxide impairs electrophysiologic recovery after severe hypoxia in rat hippocarnpal slices, Aneathesiology 1997; 87:642-651.
14. Sugaya T, Kitani Y. Nitrous oxide attenuates the protective effect of isoflurane on microtubule-associated protein 2 degradation during forebrain ischemia in the rat. Brain Res Bull 1997; 44:307-309.
15. Jevtovic-Todorovic V, Todorovic SM, Mennerick S, Powell S, Dikranian K, Benshoff N. et al. Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) is an NMDA antagonist, neuroprotectant and neurotoxin. Nat Med 1998; 4:460-463.
16. Lannes M, Desparmet JF, Zifkin BG. Generalized seizures associated with nitrous oxide in an infant. Anesthesiology 1997; 87:705-708.
17. Hadzic A, Glab K, Sanborn KV, Thys DM, Severe neurologic deficit after nitrous oxide anesthesia. Anesthesiology 1995; 83:863-866.
18. Kinsella LJ, Green R. 'Anesthesia paresthetica': nitrous oxide-induced -cobalamin deficiency. Neurology 1995; 45:1608-1610.
19. Pema PJ, Horak HA, Wyatt RH. Myelopathy caused by nitrous oxide toxicity. Am J Neuroradiol 1998; 19:894-896.
20. Rosener M, Dichgans J. Severe combined degeneration of the spinal cord alter nitrous oxide anaesthesia in a vegetarian [letter], J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1996; 60:354.
21. Crespo ML, Gimenez A, Bas T, Garcia C, Puertes IR, Vina JR. Effect of nitrous oxide and propofol on amino acid metabolism in neoplasic patients. Nutr Cancer 1997; 27:80-83.
22. 2O. The consequences of this observation for anaesthesia are not clear.
23. Frohlich D, Rothe G, Wittmann S, Schmitz G, Schmid P, Taeger K, Hobbhahn J. Nitrous oxide impairs the neutrophil oxidative response. Anesthesiology 1998; 88:1281-1290.
24. Aldridge LM, Tunstall ME. Nitrous oxide and the fetus. A review and the results of a retrospective study of 175 cases of anaesthesia for insertion of Shirodkar sufure. Br J Anaesth 1986; 58:1348-1356.
25. Crawford JS, Lewis M. Nitrous oxide in early human pregnancy. Anaesthesia 1986; 41:900-905.
26. 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.
27. Ahlborg GJ, Axelsson G, Bodin L. Shift work, nitrous oxide exposure and subfertility among Swedish midwives. Int J Epidemiol 1996; 25:783-790.
28. Shaw AD, Morgan M. Nitrous oxide: time to stop laughing? [editorial] Anaesthesia 1998; 53:213-215.
29. Karabiyik L, Bozkirti F, Celebi H, Goksu N. Effect of nitrous oxide on middle ear pressure: a comparison between inhalational anaesthesia with nitrous oxide and TIVA. Eur J Anaesthesiol 1996; 13:27-32.
30. Ohryn M. Tympanic membrane rupture following general anesthesia with nitrous oxide: a case report. AANA J 1995; 63:42-44.
31. Briggs M, Wong D, Groenewald C, McGalliard J, Kelly J, Harper J. The effect of anaesthesia on the intraocular volume of the C3F8 gas bubble. Eye 1997; 11:47-52.
32. Petty R, Stevens R, Erickson S, Lucio J, Kao TC. Inhalation of nitrous oxide expands epidural air bubbles. Reg Anesth 1996; 21:144-148.
33. Nyarwaya JB, Pierre S, Mazoit JX, Umbrain V, Romain M, Samii K, d'Hollander A. Effects of carbon dioxide embolism with nitrous oxide in the inspired gas in piglets. Br J Anaesth 1996; 76:426-434.
34. Splinter WM, Komocar L. Nitrous oxide does not increase vomiting after dental restorations in children. Anesth Analg 1997; 84:506-508.
35. 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
36. 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.
37. Bloomfield E, Porembka D, Grimes-Rice M. Avoidance of nitrous oxide and increased isoflurane during alfentanit based anesthesia decreases the incidence of postoperative nausea, Anesth Progress 1997; 44:27-31.
38. Crawford MW, Lerman J. Sloan MH, Sikich N, Halpern L, Bissonnette B. Recovery characteristics of propofol anaesthesia, with and without nitrous oxide: a comparison with halothane/nitrous oxide anaesthesia in children. Paediatr Anaesth 1998; 8:49-54.
39. Hartung J. Twenty-four of twenty-seven studies show a greater incidence of emesis associated with nitrous oxide than with alternative anesthetics. Anesth Analg 1996; 83:114-116.
40. Divatia JV, Vaidya JS, Badwe RA, Hawaldar RW. Omission of nitrous oxide during anesthesia reduces the incidence of postoperative nausea and vomiting. A meta-analysis. Anesthesiology 1996; 85:1055-1062.
41. Tramer M, Moore A, McQuay H. Meta-analytic comparison of prophylactic antiemetic efficacy for postoperative nausea and vomiting: propofol anaesthesia vs omitting nitrous oxide vs total i.v. anaesthesia with propofol. Br J Anaesth 1996; 76:186-193.
42. Houltz E, Caidahl K, Hellstrom A, Gustavsson T, Milocco 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.
43. Hahn RG, Riddez L, Brismar B, Strandberg A, Hedenstierna G. Haemodynamics during inhalation of a 50% nitrous-oxide-in-oxygen mixture with and without hypovolaemia. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1997; 41:485-491.
44. 2O with halothane resulted in greater cardiovascular impairment than halothane alone, whereas the opposite was found for isoflurane.
45. 2O or isoflurane anaesthesia. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1997; 41:1292-1299.
46. 2O decreased ventilatory volumes and increased the breathing rate when added to halothane anaesthesia. There was a marked reduction in ribcage movement possibly as a result of changes in the activity of other respiratory muscles than the intercostals.
47. Davidson JA, Macleod AD, Howie JC, White M, Kenny GN, Effective concentration 50 for propofol with and without 67% nitrous oxide. Acta Anaesthesiol Scand 1993; 37:458-464.
48. 2O required additional allentanil for adequate anaesthesia.
49. 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.
50. Gregory PR, Sullivan JA. Nitrous oxide compared with intravenous regional anesthesia in pediatric forearm fracture manipulation. J Pediatr Orthop 1996; 16:187-191.
51. Litman RS, Berkowitz RJ, Ward DS. Levels of consciousness and ventilatory parameters in young children during sedation with oral midazolam and nitrous oxide. Arch Pediatr Adofesc Med 1996; 150:671-675.
52. Litman RS, Kottra JA, Berkowitz RJ, Ward DS. Breathing patterns and levels of consciousness in children during administration of nitrous oxide after oral midazolam premedication. J Oral Maxillofac Surg 1997; 55:1372-1377.
53. 2O should be used with great caution, if at all, for the sedation of children.
54. Trojan J, Saunders BP, Woloshynowych M, Debinsky HS, Williams CB. Immediate recovery of psychomotor function after patient-administered nitrous oxide/oxygen inhalation for colonoscopy. Endoscopy 1997; 29:17-22.
55. Fich A, Efrat R, Sperber AD, Wengrower D, Goldin E, Nitrous oxide inhalation as sedation for flexible sigmoidoscopy, Gastrointest Endosc 1997; 45:10-12.
56. 2O is a weak sedative. Most of the apparent sedative effects are probably attributable to analgesia, rather than sedation.
57. James MF, Manson ED, Dennett JE. Nitrous oxide analgesia and altitude. Anaesthesia 1982; 37:285-288.
58. Goto T, Saito H, Shinkai M, Nakata Y, Ichinose F, Morita S. Xenon provides faster emergence from anesthesia than does nitrous oxide-sevoflurane or nitrous oxide-isoflurane. Anesthesiology 1997; 86:1273-1278.
59. Ohara A, Mashimo T, Zhang P, Inagaki Y, Shibuta S, Yoshiya I. A comparative study of the antinociceptive action of xenon and nitrous oxide in rats. Anesth Analg 1997; 85:931-936.
60. 2O by more than the ratio of 1.5 of their MAC values. Both gases were associated with a high incidence of nausea and vomiting with 50% of the volunteers experiencing vomiting.