Inhalation Anesthetics Flashcards
How do inhaled anesthetics work?
- Liquid anesthesia is vaporized into oxygen
- Vapor moves into air passages in the alveoli
- Through a concentration gradient the anesthesia moves from the alveoli to the blood stream
- Through another concentration gradient anesthesia moves into lipids in the brain
What are the two most common inhaled agents?
- Isoflurane
- Sevoflurane
What is another name for iso and sevo?
- Halogenated organic compounds
What are the characteristics of iso?
- High vapor pressure
- Low solubility coefficient
- High MAC
- Stable at room temp
- No preservatives
- No post op analgesia
What is the best inhalant to use for heart, lung, and other organ problems?
- Isoflurane
Both iso and sevo have a low solubility coefficient. What does this mean?
- Induction and recovery will be fast
Which inhalant works the fastest?
- Sevoflurane
Because sevo works the fastest what 3 situations is it used for?
- Mask and chamber inductions
- C-sections
- Horses
What are the detrimental effects of sevo?
- Myocardial depression and vasodilation
- Sensitizes myocardium to catecholamine induced arrhythmias
- Respiratory depression
- Depresses temperature regulation
Because of sevo’s effect on temperature, what species should never receive sevo, why?
- Pigs because they are predisposed to malignant hyperthermia
How are most inhalants eliminated?
- Blown off by the lungs
How is Halothane eliminated?
- Liver metabolism
What are the bad effects of halothane?
- Sensitizes heart to catecholamines
- Myocardial depression and vasodilation
- Increases intracranial pressure
- Induces malignant hyperthermia
Give an example of a catecholamine?
- Epinephrine
Because of its detrimental effects, Halothane is not administered to what two patients?
- Trauma patients (intracranial pressure)
- Pigs (malignant hyperthermia)
