Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 12, 2026
08:49
Assessing Changes in Volatile General Anesthetic Sensitivity of Mice after Local or Systemic Pharmacological Intervention
Published on: October 16, 2013
Adverse effects of volatile anaesthetics
British Journal of Anaesthesia
|January 1, 1987
Summary
Volatile inhalation anesthetics can cause adverse reactions, primarily linked to biotransformation. Newer agents like enflurane and isoflurane show reduced toxicity, offering safer anesthesia options.
Area of Science:
- Anesthesiology
- Toxicology
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Volatile inhalation anesthetics are associated with various adverse viscerotoxic reactions.
- Hepatotoxicity from halothane is a significant concern, linked to its biotransformation.
- Minimizing biotransformation and reactive metabolites is key to developing safer anesthetics.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the safety profile of volatile inhalation anesthetics.
- To explore the relationship between anesthetic biotransformation and toxicity.
- To identify anesthetic agents with reduced adverse viscerotoxic events.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on anesthetic-induced toxicity.
- Analysis of biotransformation pathways of common inhalation anesthetics.
- Comparison of adverse event profiles for halothane, enflurane, and isoflurane.
Main Results:
- Most volatile anesthetics exhibit minimal non-predicted toxicities.
- Halothane-induced hepatitis is a well-documented, biotransformation-dependent adverse reaction.
- Enflurane and isoflurane demonstrate decreased biotransformation and reduced toxicity compared to halothane.
Conclusions:
- Reducing anesthetic biotransformation can lead to safer anesthetic agents.
- Enflurane and isoflurane represent advancements in anesthetic safety due to lower viscerotoxicity.
- Further research into anesthetic metabolism can optimize patient safety during surgical procedures.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
01:21Skeletal Muscle Relaxants: Adverse Effects
Skeletal muscle relaxants are widely used for muscle paralysis and relieving pain following any muscle injury or stiffness. However, depending on the drug type, they can have adverse effects that range from mild to severe. Usually, nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers have minimal side effects. For example, drugs like d-tubocurarine, cisatracurium, and rocuronium cause hypotension, whereas drugs like baclofen, when stopped abruptly, can lead to the recurrence of spastic conditions.
Unlike...
Unlike...
01:13Local Anesthetics: Pharmacokinetics
The potency and duration of action of local anesthetics (LAs) are determined by their pharmacokinetics. Pharmacokinetics describes how LAs are absorbed, distributed, metabolized, and eliminated from the body. When administered to the vascular tissues, LAs are quickly absorbed and enter the systemic circulation, reducing their localized effects. Adding vasoconstrictors such as epinephrine to LAs reduces their absorption into the systemic circulation, making them clinically effective. The...
01:12Local Anesthetics: Adverse Effects
While local anesthetics are generally safe and well-tolerated, they can occasionally cause adverse effects that vary in severity. Local anesthetics can induce toxicity at two distinct levels. They can either produce local effects through direct contact with the neural elements or be absorbed into the bloodstream from the injection site, leading to systemic effects.
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...
Once absorbed into the systemic circulation, local anesthetics can affect the organs that depend on the functioning of sodium...
01:24General Anesthesia: Overview
Anesthesia is a medical procedure that uses drugs for CNS suppression to enable painless surgeries and procedures. The selection of anesthetics is influenced by their pharmacokinetic properties, side effects, and patient characteristics. Various types of anesthesia include general, local, regional, spinal, and inhalational.
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
General anesthesia induces unconsciousness in the whole body, while the others target specific areas or sensations. It is administered to minimize adverse effects, maintain...
01:24Parenteral Anesthetics: Overview
Intravenous anesthetics are drugs administered parenterally to induce anesthesia or sedation. Propofol is a widely used agent formulated as a 1% emulsion in soybean oil, glycerol, and egg phosphatide. It induces rapid anesthesia primarily due to its rapid distribution from the bloodstream to target tissues and is metabolized in the liver. However, it can cause significant pain on injection and hypertriglyceridemia. Fospropofol, a water-based prodrug of propofol, lacks these adverse effects.
01:20Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview
Inhalation anesthetics are drugs that induce general anesthesia upon inhalation. They work by increasing the sensitivity of GABAA receptors or inhibiting NMDA receptors, leading to a decrease in central nervous system activity. The depth of anesthesia can be rapidly adjusted by changing the concentration of the inhaled gas. Some common examples of inhalational anesthetics include volatile liquids like isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane and gases like xenon and nitrous oxide. Isoflurane, a...