What is nitrous oxide? Gas used in anesthesia

Nitrous oxide is one of the gases used in anesthesia and operating rooms. The use of this gas improves the quality and induction of anesthesia to the patient and reduces the time required for the anesthetic to leave the patient’s body. In addition to the fact that the cost of purchasing nitrous oxide for the hospital is lower than the rest of the gases, for this reason it naturally reduces the cost of anesthesia and ultimately benefits the patient.

Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas, was first synthesized by Joseph Priestley in 1772. (Chemical synthesis is an activity in which a substance is made from raw materials through a chemical reaction.)

From the time of its introduction until forty years later, nitrous oxide was only used as a painkiller for teeth, but later it was used for anesthesia and analgesia in most surgical procedures, and this method continues even now.

What nitric oxide does in the body and the exact mechanism of its effect on the body is still unknown to the medical community, but its effects occur on pain centers in the brain and spinal cord. What medical science thinks of it is that nitric oxide has an effect on gamma aminobutyric acid cells and inhibits nerve cells. For this reason, it makes the patient sleepy. It is also related to the release of endogenous neurotransmitters such as narcotic peptides and serotonin, and experts in this field believe that the release of these neurotransmitters activates the descending pathways of pain and prevents pain transmission.

Contraindications to the use of nitrous oxide

It is only in special conditions that the use of nitrous oxide is contraindicated. For example, patients who have recently undergone eye surgery (Vitrectomy eye surgery) are part of this category. Of course, anesthesiologists can use gas warning wristbands for these patients. This wristband alerts the anesthesiologist to avoid using nitrous oxide among other gases. Also, nitrous oxide can increase intracranial pressure, so in cases where the patient’s head has been hit. It should not be used. If the patient has a condition where air is trapped in his body and its expansion is dangerous, nitrous oxide should never be used. Diseases such as:

Pneumothorax
Abdominal expansion
Following a dive, damaged body
Consciousness disorder
Poisoning

They are like this. When nitrous oxide is used for more than 24 hours or more than 4 consecutive days, it should be done with close clinical and hematologic monitoring, as it can cause vitamin B12 deficiency in predisposed patients. In England, the maximum patient exposure limit to nitrous oxide is 100ppm per 8 hours. This amount is significantly lower than the level that has any damage and harm to the patient’s health. There are concerns for the effects of nitrous oxide when people are exposed to high concentrations long-term, including operating room personnel and the surgical team. Because these people have been in the operating room for a long time with different patients and are exposed to nitrous oxide. Research shows that this gas has a negative effect on fertility and fetal growth. That is why nitrous oxide is only used in operating rooms where air conditioning works well and proper equipment is used.

Greenhouse Effect

The environmental effects of medical nitrous oxide are very low and have only a very limited role in the production of greenhouse gases.

In fact, nitrogen oxide accounts for only 5% of the greenhouse effect, and only 1% of the total nitrogen oxide released in the atmosphere comes from medicinal uses.

It is reminded:

Parsia Gas Group produces nitrogen oxide and is ready to cooperate with hospitals all over the country. If you have any questions or would like to discuss the nitrous oxide purchasing process further, please contact us.