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Age, minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration, and minimum alveolar anesthetic concentration-awake

E I Eger1

  • 1Department of Anesthesia and Perioperative Care, University of California, San Francisco, California 94143-0464, USA. egere@anesthesia.ucsf.edu

Anesthesia and Analgesia
|September 28, 2001
PubMed
Abstract

Insights

Inhaled anesthetic effects like immobility and memory loss correlate with end-tidal concentrations. Monitoring these concentrations, adjusted for age and temperature, allows for display as multiples of Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC).

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Inhaled anesthetics produce key effects like immobility and amnesia.
  • These effects correlate with anesthetic end-tidal concentrations.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To present an algorithm for displaying anesthetic concentrations.
  • The display normalizes concentrations to Minimum Alveolar Concentration (MAC) multiples.
  • To estimate the impact of nitrous oxide.

Main Methods:

  • Monitoring end-tidal anesthetic concentrations.
  • Correcting concentrations for patient age and temperature.
  • Calculating concentrations as multiples of MAC for a standard age (40 years).

Main Results:

  • An algorithm is provided for displaying anesthetic concentrations as MAC multiples.
  • The algorithm accounts for age and temperature.
  • It includes an estimation for nitrous oxide's effect.

Conclusions:

  • Key anesthetic effects (immobility, amnesia) correlate with end-tidal concentrations.
  • Monitoring and displaying these concentrations, adjusted for patient factors, is feasible.
  • This facilitates standardized assessment of anesthetic depth.

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