Pharmacology of Inhaled Anesthetics

Inhalational agents are chemical compounds that produce general anesthesiaAnesthesia and are delivered via inhalation. They are used in anesthesia primarily to produce a loss of consciousness, but may have other lesser effects such as muscle relaxation and analgesia. Nitrous oxideNitrous oxide is the only currently used inorganic inhalational agent. Volatile anesthetics, including halothaneHalothane, methoxyflurane, enflurane, isofluraneIsoflurane, desfluraneDesflurane, and sevofluraneSevoflurane, exert their effects at multiple sites throughout the central nervous systemCentral nervous system. Each agent has its own specific chemical structure that leads to different solubilities, potencies, biotransformation, and side effectsSide effects of each drug. The modern volatile inhalational agents of fluorinated ethers including isoflurane, sevoflurane, and desflurane were introduced in the 1980s. The modern volatile agents mainly resist metabolismMetabolism and make organ toxicity unlikely. As research continues, the noble gas, xenon, has a potential for future development.