Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview01:20

Inhalational Anesthetics: Overview

550
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...
550
External and Internal Respiration01:24

External and Internal Respiration

5.0K
External respiration occurs in the lungs, and it is the first step in the journey of oxygen inside the body. When we inhale, oxygen enters our lungs and diffuses across the thin alveolar membrane. The alveoli are tiny, air-filled sacs that provide a vast surface area for gas exchange. Oxygen in the alveoli has a higher partial pressure (105 mmHg) than in the adjacent pulmonary capillaries (40 mmHg), establishing a pressure gradient. As a result, oxygen molecules move from the alveoli into the...
5.0K
Physical Principles Governing Gas Exchange01:16

Physical Principles Governing Gas Exchange

2.2K
Gas behavior plays a vital role in understanding bodily processes such as external and internal respiration. External respiration involves the diffusion of oxygen into the blood and carbon dioxide out of it in the lungs. In contrast, internal respiration happens in body tissues, where these gases move in opposite directions.
Gas Laws Governing Respiration
The behavior of gases is guided by Dalton's Law of partial pressures and Henry's Law.
Dalton's Law asserts that the total...
2.2K
Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion03:48

Behavior of Gas Molecules: Molecular Diffusion, Mean Free Path, and Effusion

29.6K
Although gaseous molecules travel at tremendous speeds (hundreds of meters per second), they collide with other gaseous molecules and travel in many different directions before reaching the desired target. At room temperature, a gaseous molecule will experience billions of collisions per second. The mean free path is the average distance a molecule travels between collisions. The mean free path increases with decreasing pressure; in general, the mean free path for a gaseous molecule will be...
29.6K
Stages of General Anesthesia01:22

Stages of General Anesthesia

766
Various sedation levels offer significant advantages in facilitating procedural interventions for patients undergoing medical or invasive surgical procedures. These levels span from anxiolysis to general anesthesia, providing a spectrum of sedative effects to cater to specific patient needs. Anxiolysis reduces anxiety and is achieved through minimal sedation, enabling patients to remain awake and responsive while feeling more at ease during the procedure. This level can benefit minor...
766
Additional Routes of Drug Administration01:18

Additional Routes of Drug Administration

3.2K
Choosing the appropriate route of drug administration is significantly influenced by two key factors: the therapeutic objectives and the inherent properties of the drug being used.
Administering drugs via inhalation allows for the direct delivery of gaseous, volatile substances or droplets to different parts of the respiratory tract. One of the advantages of the inhalation route is the rapid absorption of drugs into the circulatory system, which is possible because of the large surface area of...
3.2K

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The simple things, and the not so simple.

Anaesthesia and intensive care·2026
Same author

Sugammadex versus neostigmine for reversal of neuromuscular blockade and postoperative pulmonary complications (SNaPP): an international, randomised, controlled, phase 4 trial.

The Lancet. Respiratory medicine·2026
Same author

Responsible use of large language models in manuscript authorship, peer review, and editorial processes: a Delphi consensus among editors-in-chief of anaesthesia and pain medicine journals (RULE-AP).

British journal of anaesthesia·2026
Same author

Sugammadex, neostigmine, and postoperative pulmonary complications: protocol of the SNaPP multicentre randomised controlled trial.

BJA open·2026
Same author

The 2025 awards for papers published in <i>Anaesthesia and Intensive Care</i> in 2024.

Anaesthesia and intensive care·2025
Same author

Survey of administration of intravenous ketamine for perioperative pain management in Australia and New Zealand.

Anaesthesia and intensive care·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
08:16

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Published on: July 23, 2020

2.4K

Gas Phase Diffusion Does Not Limit Lung Volatile Anesthetic Uptake Rate.

Philip J Peyton1

  • 1Department of Critical Care, Melbourne Medical School, Faculty of Medicine Dentistry and Health Sciences, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia; Department of Anesthesia, Austin Health, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia; and Institute for Breathing And Sleep, Heidelberg, Victoria, Australia.

Anesthesiology
|May 3, 2022
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

General anesthesia impairs lung gas exchange, increasing alveolar deadspace. This study found no significant diffusion limitation for desflurane compared to nitrous oxide, suggesting similar lung uptake.

More Related Videos

In Vitro Method to Control Concentrations of Halogenated Gases in Cultured Alveolar Epithelial Cells
04:56

In Vitro Method to Control Concentrations of Halogenated Gases in Cultured Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Published on: October 23, 2018

6.7K
Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device
09:36

Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device

Published on: September 24, 2020

2.9K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Sep 24, 2025

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics
08:16

Optogenetic Activation of Afferent Pathways in Brain Slices and Modulation of Responses by Volatile Anesthetics

Published on: July 23, 2020

2.4K
In Vitro Method to Control Concentrations of Halogenated Gases in Cultured Alveolar Epithelial Cells
04:56

In Vitro Method to Control Concentrations of Halogenated Gases in Cultured Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Published on: October 23, 2018

6.7K
Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device
09:36

Halogenated Agent Delivery in Porcine Model of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome via an Intensive Care Unit Type Device

Published on: September 24, 2020

2.9K

Area of Science:

  • Anesthesiology
  • Respiratory Physiology
  • Pharmacokinetics

Background:

  • General anesthesia impairs lung gas exchange, leading to increased alveolar deadspace.
  • Ventilation-perfusion mismatch is a primary cause, but diffusion limitation's role is unclear, especially for high molecular weight gases.
  • Investigating diffusion limitation is crucial for understanding anesthetic gas uptake and distribution.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To compare the contribution of longitudinal stratification to lung uptake of desflurane and nitrous oxide.
  • To determine if diffusion limitation significantly affects the uptake of desflurane during general anesthesia.
  • To quantify the end-tidal to arterial partial pressure gradients for these gases.

Main Methods:

  • Compared end-tidal-arterial partial pressure gradients of desflurane and nitrous oxide in 17 anesthetized patients.
  • Measured simultaneous tidal gas concentrations and blood partial pressures.
  • Calculated gas uptake rate using the direct Fick method and adjusted for inspired concentration and lung uptake rate.

Main Results:

  • Desflurane showed a significantly smaller measured end-tidal-arterial partial pressure gradient than nitrous oxide.
  • Alveolar deadspace was also smaller for desflurane.
  • After adjustments, the gradient for desflurane remained below a 20% threshold compared to nitrous oxide.

Conclusions:

  • No evidence of clinically significant additional diffusion limitation for desflurane uptake relative to nitrous oxide was found.
  • Lung gas exchange inefficiency during anesthesia is not significantly worsened by diffusion limitation for desflurane.
  • Findings suggest comparable lung uptake characteristics for desflurane and nitrous oxide under these conditions.