Inhalation Anesthetics Flashcards
The pressure that a vapor exerts above the liquid of a closed container
Vapor pressure
Which agents have vapor pressures?
Isoflurane, Sevoflurane, Desflurane, Nitrous Oxide
Rank the vapor pressures from highest to lowest
- Nitrous Oxide (38,770)
- Desflurane (669)
- Isoflurane (238)
- Sevoflurane (157)
Why is vapor pressure important?
- You can overdose a patient with a higher vapor pressure than what you needed
- You can underdose a patient with a lower vapor pressure than what you needed
What are the safety features of volatile agents?
- They are color coded (sevo is yellow, iso is purple, des is blue)
- Vaporizers have key adapters
- Vaporizers have a safety interlock system to prevent more than 1 vaporizer being on at a time
Refers to a liquid getting cold as it evaporates
Latent heat of vaporization
How do you keep Desflurane from getting cold?
It is stored in a specialized vaporizer that is heated and pressurized
Condensing a gas is easier when..
- The liquid is made cooler
2. The liquid is pressurized
The temperature at which a gas can be liquefied under pressure
Critical temperature
If a gas has a low critical temperature it is (harder or easier) to liquefy
Harder to liquefy
If a gas has a high critical temperature it is (harder or easier) to liquefy
Easier to liquefy
Properties of oxygen
Ideal gas
Critical temperature of -119 C
Ideal gas law equation
P/V =P/V
Properties of nitrous oxide
NOT an ideal gas
Critical temperature of 36.5 C
Properties of air
Ideal gas
Critical temperature of -140.6 C
21% O2 79% N2
Full tank of oxygen
2,000 psi
660 L
An E cylinder has 1500 psi and the anesthetist is delivering 2L/min to the patient. How long can oxygen be delivered?**
P/V = P/V 2000psi/660L = 1500psi/V V=495L 495L x (1 min/2L) = 247.5 min
Full tank of nitrous oxide
750 psi
1590L
Tank contains liquid until 75% of that volume is depleted
The pressure begins to drop when there is <400L
An E cylinder of N2O is being used. The volume has dropped from 1590L to 600L. What is the pressure in the cylinder?
750 psi
What does variable bypass mean?
Some fresh gas flow bypasses the vaporizer
Occurs in isoflurane and sevoflurane
How is desflurane different from iso and sevo?
Desflurane is not a variable bypass vaporizer. It all bypasses the vaporizer
The highest blood CO2 level at which at patient can remain apneic
Apneic threshold
Less of a drive to breathe
High apneic threshold
More of a drive to breathe (cannot hold breath as long)
Low apneic threshold
How do anesthetics raise the apneic threshold?
They suppress the patient’s drive to breathe, meaning it will take a much higher CO2 than normal to stimulate breathing
How does pain affect the apneic threshold?
It lowers it. Patients in pain cannot hold their breath
Assuming a patient is on a ventilator, you must get the patient spontaneously ventilating again prior to wake up. How would you do this?
- Reverse muscle paralysis if applicable
- Allow CO2 level to increase by decreasing RR or making the patient go apneic
- The patient will begin to breathe when the apneic threshold is reached (when CO2 is high enough)
The lowest oxygen level at which the patient can no longer remain apneic
Hypoxic drive
When does hypercarbia have a higher effect than hypoxia in stimulating breathing?
In healthy patients
When does hypoxia have a greater effect than hypercarbia in stimulating breathing?
In patients with lung disease