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The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane in humans

T Katoh, K Ikeda

    Anesthesiology
    |March 1, 1987
    PubMed

    Insights

    Adding nitrous oxide to sevoflurane anesthesia significantly reduces the required sevoflurane concentration for surgical procedures. This combination, using nitrous oxide and sevoflurane, proves more potent, lowering anesthetic doses for patient safety.

    Area of Science:

    • Anesthesiology
    • Pharmacology

    Background:

    • Sevoflurane is a widely used inhalation anesthetic.
    • Understanding dose-sparing effects of adjunct agents is crucial for optimizing anesthesia.
    • Nitrous oxide is a known adjunct anesthetic gas.

    Purpose of the Study:

    • To determine the minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of sevoflurane required to prevent movement during surgical incision.
    • To evaluate the dose-sparing effect of adding nitrous oxide to sevoflurane anesthesia.

    Main Methods:

    • Forty surgical patients were randomized into two groups.
    • Anesthesia was induced and maintained with either sevoflurane and oxygen or sevoflurane, oxygen, and nitrous oxide.
    • Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) and anesthetic ED95 (AD95) were determined for sevoflurane alone and in combination with nitrous oxide.

    Main Results:

    • The MAC of sevoflurane alone was 1.71%.
    • The AD95 for sevoflurane alone was 2.07%.
    • Adding 63.5% end-tidal nitrous oxide reduced the sevoflurane MAC by 61.4% to 0.66%.
    • The AD95 for sevoflurane with nitrous oxide was 0.94%.

    Conclusions:

    • Nitrous oxide significantly reduces the required alveolar concentration of sevoflurane.
    • The combination of sevoflurane and nitrous oxide offers a potent anesthetic regimen.
    • This combination may allow for lower sevoflurane doses, potentially reducing side effects and costs.

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