Subjective, psychomotor, cognitive, and analgesic effects of subanesthetic concentrations of sevoflurane and nitrous oxide.
J L Galinkin, D Janiszewski, C J Young, J M Klafta, P A Klock, D W Coalson, J L Apfelbaum, J P Zacny
Anesthesiology November 1, 1997 DOI: 10.1097/00000542-199711000-00012 via PubMed
Summary
AI-generated from the abstractSevoflurane, a volatile general anesthetic, and nitrous oxide, a gaseous anesthetic, produce different subjective, psychomotor, and analgesic effects at equal subanesthetic concentrations. In 12 healthy volunteers, sevoflurane caused greater amnesia, psychomotor impairment, and drowsiness than nitrous oxide, while only nitrous oxide provided analgesic effects. Recovery from both drugs was rapid. The distinct effect profiles align with their chemical and mechanistic differences.
Study at a glance
| Characteristics | Crossover design Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Sample size | 12 |
| Population | Healthy volunteers |
| Interventions | Sevoflurane Nitrous oxide |
| Dose | 0.3% and 0.60% end-tidal sevoflurane; 15% and 30% end-tidal nitrous oxide |
| Duration | 35 min inhalation |
| Key finding | Sevoflurane produced greater amnesia, psychomotor impairment, and drowsiness than equal minimum alveolar concentrations of nitrous oxide, but only nitrous oxide had analgesic effects. |
Abstract
Sevoflurane is a volatile general anesthetic that differs in chemical nature from the gaseous anesthetic nitrous oxide. In a controlled laboratory setting, the authors characterized the subjective, psychomotor, and analgesic effects of sevoflurane and nitrous oxide at two equal minimum alveolar subanesthetic concentrations. A crossover design was used to test the effects of two end-tidal concentrations of sevoflurane (0.3% and 0.60%), two end-tidal concentrations of nitrous oxide (15% and 30%) that were equal in minimum alveolar concentration to that of sevoflurane, and placebo (100% oxygen) in 12 healthy volunteers. The volunteers inhaled one of these concentrations of sevoflurane, nitrous oxide, or placebo for 35 min. Dependent measures included subjective, psychomotor, and physiologic effects, and pain ratings measured during a cold-water test. Sevoflurane produced a greater degree of amnesia, psychomotor impairment, and drowsiness than did equal minimum alveolar concentrations of nitrous oxide. Recovery from sevoflurane and nitrous oxide effects was rapid. Nitrous oxide but not sevoflurane had analgesic effects. Sevoflurane and nitrous oxide produced different profiles of subjective, behavioral, and cognitive effects, with sevoflurane, in general, producing an overall greater magnitude of effect. The differences in effects between sevoflurane and nitrous oxide are consistent with the differences in their chemical nature and putative mechanisms of action.