Faculty Collaboration Database

Lack of degradation of sevoflurane by a new carbon dioxide absorbent in humans. Anesthesiology 2001 Jun;94(6):1007-9

Date

07/24/2001

Pubmed ID

11465591

DOI

10.1097/00000542-200106000-00014

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0034982062 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   14 Citations

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Potent inhaled anesthetics degrade in the presence of the strong bases (sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide) in carbon dioxide (CO2) absorbents. A new absorbent, Amsorb (Armstrong Medical Ltd., Coleraine, Northern Ireland), does not employ these strong bases. This study compared the scavenging efficacy and compound A production of two commercially available absorbents (soda lime and barium hydroxide lime) with Amsorb in humans undergoing general anesthesia.

METHODS: Four healthy volunteers were anesthetized on different days with desflurane, sevoflurane, enflurane, and isoflurane. End-tidal carbon dioxide (ETCO2) and anesthetic concentrations were measured with infrared spectroscopy; blood pressure and arterial blood gases were obtained from a radial artery catheter. Each anesthetic exposure lasted 3 h, during which the three fresh (normally hydrated) CO2 absorbents were used for a period of 1 h each. Anesthesia was administered with a fresh gas flow rate of 2 l/min of air:oxygen (50:50). Tidal volume was 10 ml/kg; respiratory rate was 8 breaths/min. Arterial blood gases were obtained at baseline and after each hour. Inspired concentrations of compound A were measured after 15, 30, and 60 min of anesthetic administration for each CO2 absorbent.

RESULTS: Arterial blood gases and ETCO2 were not different among three CO2 absorbents. During sevoflurane, compound A formed with barium hydroxide lime and soda lime, but not with Amsorb.

CONCLUSIONS: This new CO2 absorbent effectively scavenged CO2 and was not associated with compound A production.

Author List

Mchaourab A, Arain SR, Ebert TJ

Author

Thomas J. Ebert MD, PhD Adjunct Professor in the Anesthesiology department at Medical College of Wisconsin

MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Absorption
Adult
Anesthesia, Inhalation
Anesthetics, Inhalation
Barium Compounds
Blood Gas Analysis
Calcium Chloride
Calcium Compounds
Calcium Hydroxide
Ethers
Female
Humans
Hydrocarbons, Fluorinated
Male
Methyl Ethers
Oxides
Sodium Hydroxide