Xenon, a modern anaesthesia gas
by
Hecker K, Baumert JH, Horn N, Rossaint R.
Department of Anesthesiology,
Universitatsklinikum der RWTH Aachen,
Aachen, Germany.
klaus.hecker@post.rwth-aachen.de
Minerva Anestesiol. 2004 May;70(5):255-60

ABSTRACT

Xenon is an interesting anesthetic as it appears to lack negative inotropicy and vasodilatation, giving great advantages to both patients with limited cardiovascular reserve or those who require hemodynamic stability. It has low toxicity and is not teratogenic. Xenon gives rapid induction and recovery, due to its low blood/gas partition coefficient (0.15), and has a MAC of 63%. Several vitro studies showed that Xenon may protect neural cells against ischaemic injury. Its low blood solubility can take to diffusion hypoxia if Xenon is not substituted by 100% oxygen at the end of anesthesia. It has been shown that, compared to other anesthetic regimens, Xenon anesthesia produces the highest regional blood flow in the brain, liver, kidney and intestine. In conclusion, the most important positive effects of Xenon are cardiovascular stability, cerebral protection and favourable pharmacokinetics. Negative points are high cost and the limited number of ventilators supplying Xenon.

Xenon
People
Anaesthesia
Hypnotic analgesia
Obstetric anaesthesia
Molecular mechanisms
Chloroform anaesthesia
New anaesthetics: xenon
Noble and diatomic gas anaesthesia?

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