Nitrous oxide (medication)

Nitrous oxide is a colorless, non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. It is known as "laughing gas" due to the euphoric effects of inhaling it, a property that has led to its recreational use as a dissociative anesthetic.

Medical uses

Nitrous oxide has been used for anesthesia in dentistry since the 19th century, and is used in the management of both acute and chronic pain. It is also used as an analgesic in conjunction with oxygen in a 50:50 ratio, for pain relief in childbirth, trauma, and in the prehospital setting.

Pharmacology

Nitrous oxide has a minimum alveolar concentration of 105% and a blood/gas partition coefficient of 0.46. This means that it is a weak anesthetic and must be used in high concentrations with oxygen. It is a weak inhalational anesthetic and significantly reduces pain perception and emotional response to pain.

Side effects

Common side effects of nitrous oxide include nausea, vomiting, and dizziness. Long-term exposure can lead to neurotoxicity. Nitrous oxide can also be habit-forming, and chronic use can lead to vitamin B12 deficiency.

History

Nitrous oxide was discovered in 1772 by Joseph Priestley. Its potential as an anesthetic was not realized until 1844, when Horace Wells, a dentist, used it to anesthetize a patient for a dental procedure.

See also

• Anesthesia
• Analgesic
• Inhalational anesthetic

Nitrous oxide (medication)

• 
  Entonox set
• 
  Administration of nitrous oxide
• 
  Entonox shoulder
• 
  Entonox Schrader valve