Purpose: To determine which maintenance gas (sevoflurane versus desflurane) resulted in a faster emergence from general anesthesia and investigate the patient's emergence agitation. Methods: One group was maintained during general anesthesia with sevoflurane and the other with desflurane. Upon emergence the patient's behavior was evaluated.Results: The average emergence time for desflurane was 9.8; while the average for sevoflurane was 13.98 minutes. Patients who received premedication had an emergence time of 15.43 minutes, while patients who received no premedication emerged after 8.34 minutes.Zofran® was a significant predictor of purposeful actions. Patients were more aware of their surroundings when they received Zofran® compared to patients who did not receive Zofran®.Conclusion: Maintaining with desflurane and not premedicating patients allowed for a faster emergence from general anesthesia. Patients given Zofran® in their IV during the surgery had less emergence agitation then their counterparts.

The mismatching of alveolar ventilation and perfusion (VA/Q) is the major determinant of impaired gas exchange. The gold standard for analyzing VA/Q distribution is the multiple inert gas elimination technique (MIGET), conventionally based on gas chromatography (GC), and, although simple in principle, a technically demanding procedure limiting its use. A new technique based on micropore membrane inlet mass spectrometry (MMIMS) combined MIGET with mass spectrometry, simplifying the sample handling process, and potentially providing VA/Q distributions for a general clinical approach. The kinetics of volatile anesthetics are well known in patients with healthy lungs. The uptake and distribution of inhaled anesthetics have usually been modeled by physiologic models. However, these models have limitations, and they do not consider ventilation/perfusion matching. Respiratory diseases account for a large part of morbidity and mortality and are associated with pulmonary VA/Q mismatch that may affect uptake and elimination of volatile anesthetics. The objectives of the studies were firstly to investigate assessment of VA/Q mismatch by MMIMS and secondly to investigate the effects of asthma-like VA/Q mismatch on the kinetics of volatile anesthetics in an experimental porcine model. Anesthetized and mechanically ventilated piglets were studied. In study I, a direct comparison of MIGET by MMIMS with the conventional MIGET by GC in three animal models that covered a wide range of VA/Q distributions was preformed. The two methods agreed well, and parameters derived from both methods showed good agreement with externally measured references. In studies II–IV, a stable method of inducing and maintaining asthma-like VA/Q mismatch with methacholine (MCh) administration was established, and the effect of VA/Q mismatch on the pharmacokinetics of desflurane and isoflurane was investigated. The present model of bronchoconstriction demonstrates a delay in volatile anesthetic uptake and elimination, related to the heterogeneity of MCh-inhalation induced ventilation. The difference in solubility of volatile anesthetics has a significant influence on their uptake and elimination under VA/Q mismatch. The higher blood soluble isoflurane is affected to a lesser degree than the fairly insoluble desflurane.

It has been estimated that over 200,000 healthcare professionals may be exposed to waste anesthetic gases and are at risk of occupational injury. In 1977, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued the publication: Criteria for a Recommended Standard....Occupational Exposure to Waste Anesthetic Gases and Vapors. This publication was based primarily on scientific evidence from human and animal studies suggesting that chronic exposures to anesthetic gases increases the risk of both spontaneous abortion and congenital abnormalities in offspring among female workers and wives of male workers exposed to waste anesthetic gases. In this recommended standard, NIOSH defines the recommended exposure limits (REL) for nitrous oxide and halogenated anesthetics. NIOSH recommended a time-weighted average (TWA) REL of 25 parts per million (ppm) for nitrous oxide over the period of administration. The REL for halogenated anesthetic gases is a ceiling limit of two ppm.In this study, waste anesthetic gas exposures to seven Post Anesthesia Care Unit (PACU) nurses were quantified during one day of air sampling within their breathing zones. Nitrous Oxide was sampled using a ChemExpressTM Personal Monitor (Assay Technology, Inc. Pleasanton, CA) attached to the nurse's lapel for approximately three hours. A total of 15 samples were collected. Isoflurane, desflurane, and sevoflurane were sampled using a ChemExpressTM Personal Monitor (Assay Technology, Inc. Pleasanton, CA) attached to the nurse's lapel for approximately three hours. A total of 15 samples were collected. In addition, Isoflurane, desflurane, and sevoflurane were also sampled using Anasorb© 747 sorbent tubes (SKC, Inc. Eighty Four, PA) to compare the passive and active sampling methods. The tubes were attached to the nurses lapel for one hour. A total of 15 samples were collected. The exposures to nitrous oxide and halogenated anesthetics were below the NIOSH RELs. An Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) showed a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05) in the active and passive sampling methodologies.

Introdução: Os anestésicos inalatórios empregados atualmente na prática clinica (isoflurano, sevoflurano e desflurano) possuem propriedades farmacocinéticas que favorecem rápida recuperação da anestesia, porém seu uso pode causar instabilidade hemodinâmica dose-dependente, relacionado à depressão direta da contratilidade miocárdica ou à hipovolemia relativa, derivado de um sequestro de sangue devido à vasodilatação do leito vascular periférico. Este estudo visa avaliar o comportamento da VPP durante a anestesia inalatória. Para tanto se utilizou três diferentes agentes inalatórios (isoflurano, sevoflurano e desflurano) em diferentes concentrações inaladas. Métodos: Foram utilizados 25 suínos divididos aleatoriamente em três grupos. Os animais foram submetidos à anestesia com o anestésico do respectivo grupo. Imediatamente após a determinação da CAM individual do agente inalatório em cada animal, ocorreu a primeira coleta de dados. O animal foi, então, exposto a diferentes níveis de CAM (1,0 CAM; 1,25 CAM) seguido por uma exposição decrescente de CAM (1,0 CAM); provocou-se então uma hemorragia correspondente a 30% da volemia e exposição a dois níveis de CAM (1,0 e 1,25), com 20 minutos em cada exposição. Ao final de cada período os valores ecocardiográficos e do VPP foram mensurados. A análise estatística foi realizada através de provas paramétricas empregando-se o método de comparações múltiplas para análise de variância com medidas repetidas (ANOVA). O grau de significância foi de 5% (p < 0,05). Resultados: Há aumento na variação de pressão de pulso com incremento de 25% na CAM dos anestésicos inalatórios (de 8±1 para 11±3% no grupo DESF, de 7±2 para 9±2 no grupo SEVO e de 9±4 para 10±3% no grupo ISO) sem diferença estatística entre os anestésicos. Apesar deste aumento na CAM e significativa hipotensão e queda no débito cardíaco, o aumento na VPP não torna o paciente responsivo a infusão de fluidos (o VPP permaneceu abaixo de 13%). Há pequena queda na PAM quando se eleva a CAM dos anestésicos em 25%, porém só há queda estatisticamente significativa no grupo DESF (de 84±7 para 68±12 mmHg). Não foram observadas alterações importantes em relação à contratilidade miocárdica. Conclusão: Observou-se que a VPP não é influenciada como o uso dos diferentes anestésicos inalatórios e apesar dos efeitos cardiovasculares esperados destes agentes, mantem-se a capacidade de demonstrar alterações de pré-carga mesmo em concentrações correspondentes a 1,25 CAM / Background: Inhalant anesthetics, such as isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane are widely used in daily clinical practice due to its pharmacological properties allowing a rapid recovery from anesthesia. Nevertheless, its use can lead to dose-dependent hemodynamic instability related to direct depression in myocardial contractility or to a relative hypovolemia caused by vasodilation of peripheral capillary bed. This study aims to evaluate the behavior of PPV during inhalant anesthesia. For this, three different anesthetics were used (isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane) with different inhaled concentrations. Methods: 25 young pigs were randomly assigned into three groups. Animals were anesthetized with its correspondent agent according to its group. After individual determination of minimal alveolar concentration (MAC), first data collection occurred. Pigs were then exposed to different MAC (1MAC and 1,25 MAC) followed by a decrease in MAC (1 MAC). At this point a 30% of estimated volemia hemorrhage was caused and pigs were exposed to a period of 1 MAC and after that 1,25 MAC. Each period lasted 20 minutes. At the end of each period, hemodynamic parameters and echocardiography were collected. Data were submitted to analysis of variance for repeated measures (ANOVA). P<0,05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was an increase in PPV when with 1,25 MAC of all anesthetics. (from 8±1 to 11±3% in group DESF, from 7±2 to 9±2 in group SEVO and from 9±4 to 10±3% in group ISO), but without statistical difference among groups. Although there was an increase in PPV, followed by hypotension and drop in cardiac index, patients werent fluid responsive with a 25% increase in MAC, since PPV was lower than 13%. The decrease in blood pressure followed by 1,25MAC was only significant in DESF group (from 84±7 to 68±12 mmHg). No important alterations related to myocardial contractility were observed. Conclusion: PPV is not influenced by the use of different inhalant anesthetics and although there are cardiovascular effects of these agents which are expected, and were able to demonstrate alterations in preload even in concentration of 1,25 MAC

Introdução: Os anestésicos inalatórios empregados atualmente na prática clinica (isoflurano, sevoflurano e desflurano) possuem propriedades farmacocinéticas que favorecem rápida recuperação da anestesia, porém seu uso pode causar instabilidade hemodinâmica dose-dependente, relacionado à depressão direta da contratilidade miocárdica ou à hipovolemia relativa, derivado de um sequestro de sangue devido à vasodilatação do leito vascular periférico. Este estudo visa avaliar o comportamento da VPP durante a anestesia inalatória. Para tanto se utilizou três diferentes agentes inalatórios (isoflurano, sevoflurano e desflurano) em diferentes concentrações inaladas. Métodos: Foram utilizados 25 suínos divididos aleatoriamente em três grupos. Os animais foram submetidos à anestesia com o anestésico do respectivo grupo. Imediatamente após a determinação da CAM individual do agente inalatório em cada animal, ocorreu a primeira coleta de dados. O animal foi, então, exposto a diferentes níveis de CAM (1,0 CAM; 1,25 CAM) seguido por uma exposição decrescente de CAM (1,0 CAM); provocou-se então uma hemorragia correspondente a 30% da volemia e exposição a dois níveis de CAM (1,0 e 1,25), com 20 minutos em cada exposição. Ao final de cada período os valores ecocardiográficos e do VPP foram mensurados. A análise estatística foi realizada através de provas paramétricas empregando-se o método de comparações múltiplas para análise de variância com medidas repetidas (ANOVA). O grau de significância foi de 5% (p < 0,05). Resultados: Há aumento na variação de pressão de pulso com incremento de 25% na CAM dos anestésicos inalatórios (de 8±1 para 11±3% no grupo DESF, de 7±2 para 9±2 no grupo SEVO e de 9±4 para 10±3% no grupo ISO) sem diferença estatística entre os anestésicos. Apesar deste aumento na CAM e significativa hipotensão e queda no débito cardíaco, o aumento na VPP não torna o paciente responsivo a infusão de fluidos (o VPP permaneceu abaixo de 13%). Há pequena queda na PAM quando se eleva a CAM dos anestésicos em 25%, porém só há queda estatisticamente significativa no grupo DESF (de 84±7 para 68±12 mmHg). Não foram observadas alterações importantes em relação à contratilidade miocárdica. Conclusão: Observou-se que a VPP não é influenciada como o uso dos diferentes anestésicos inalatórios e apesar dos efeitos cardiovasculares esperados destes agentes, mantem-se a capacidade de demonstrar alterações de pré-carga mesmo em concentrações correspondentes a 1,25 CAM / Background: Inhalant anesthetics, such as isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane are widely used in daily clinical practice due to its pharmacological properties allowing a rapid recovery from anesthesia. Nevertheless, its use can lead to dose-dependent hemodynamic instability related to direct depression in myocardial contractility or to a relative hypovolemia caused by vasodilation of peripheral capillary bed. This study aims to evaluate the behavior of PPV during inhalant anesthesia. For this, three different anesthetics were used (isoflurane, sevoflurane and desflurane) with different inhaled concentrations. Methods: 25 young pigs were randomly assigned into three groups. Animals were anesthetized with its correspondent agent according to its group. After individual determination of minimal alveolar concentration (MAC), first data collection occurred. Pigs were then exposed to different MAC (1MAC and 1,25 MAC) followed by a decrease in MAC (1 MAC). At this point a 30% of estimated volemia hemorrhage was caused and pigs were exposed to a period of 1 MAC and after that 1,25 MAC. Each period lasted 20 minutes. At the end of each period, hemodynamic parameters and echocardiography were collected. Data were submitted to analysis of variance for repeated measures (ANOVA). P<0,05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was an increase in PPV when with 1,25 MAC of all anesthetics. (from 8±1 to 11±3% in group DESF, from 7±2 to 9±2 in group SEVO and from 9±4 to 10±3% in group ISO), but without statistical difference among groups. Although there was an increase in PPV, followed by hypotension and drop in cardiac index, patients werent fluid responsive with a 25% increase in MAC, since PPV was lower than 13%. The decrease in blood pressure followed by 1,25MAC was only significant in DESF group (from 84±7 to 68±12 mmHg). No important alterations related to myocardial contractility were observed. Conclusion: PPV is not influenced by the use of different inhalant anesthetics and although there are cardiovascular effects of these agents which are expected, and were able to demonstrate alterations in preload even in concentration of 1,25 MAC

One-lung ventilation (OLV) as an established procedure during thoracic surgery may be injurious in terms of increased mechanical stress characterised by alveolar cell stretch and overdistension, increased cyclic tidal recruitment of alveolar units, compression of alveolar vessels and increased pulmonary vascular resistance. This may result in ventilation-induced lung injury with pro-inflammatory cytokine production, leukocyte recruitment and neutrophil-dependent tissue destruction. Despite the consequences of delivering the whole tidal volume (VT) to only a single lung, relatively high VT are used during OLV to maintain arterial oxygenation and carbon dioxide elimination. However, this may increase mechanical stress in the dependent lung and may aggravate alveolar injury. There is a lack of data on the alveolar immune consequences of OLV. Therefore, the present studies investigate the epithelial damage and pro-inflammatory response induced by mechanical ventilation and OLV. OLV induced pulmonary injury, but alveolar damage in the ventilated lung decreased by reduction of the tidal volume in patients scheduled for thoracic surgery (study I). The use of the volatile anaesthetic desflurane in OLV patients attenuated the OLV-induced alveolar immune response (study II). Furthermore, an experimental model of thoracic surgery was established to investigate the systemic and pulmonary consequences of OLV and thoracic surgery in comparison with the effects of conventional two-lung ventilation and spontaneous breathing. The experimental data indicate that beside the pulmonary immune response volatile anaesthetics have also modulated the plasma concentrations of cytokines during and after OLV (study III). In contrast, OLV and thoracic surgery increased the expression of pro-inflammatory mRNA in BAL cells and lung tissue samples. General anaesthesia did not affect this response (study 4). The results of the present studies indicate that OLV and thoracic surgery may be injurious to the lung tissue to a similar degree. The recruitment and activation of alveolar granulocytes characterise the alveolar damage. The administration of different anaesthetics modulates the activation of alveolar cells, specified by decreased inflammatory mediator release in subjects that receive desflurane anaesthesia, which does not affect the expression of cytokine mRNA in alveolar cells and lung tissue samples.

This thesis has, commissioned by Dräger, an international company at the forefront of medical and safety technology, examined how the use of inhalational anesthetics affects the climate and environment. The purpose of this work is to examine how the Swedish healthcare sector currently works with inhalational anesthetics, how different anesthetic machines affect the emissions, as well as alternatives available to reduce anesthetic gases emissions. Climate change is a current issue in today’s society, but the impact of anesthetic gases on the climate is not widely known, despite their everyday use in the healthcare sector. Through data collection from two Swedish hospitals; Linköping University Hospital and Örebro University Hospital, an interview with medical and medical engineering staff, as well as a literature study the main question of the thesis could be answered; How do the most common anesthetic gases affect the environment? The results are presented in the form of diagrams showing the amount of anesthetic gas used in the aforementioned hospitals during surgeries. The results have been analyzed and discussed based on the research questions, and the different results from each hospital have been compared to each other. It can be seen that Dräger’s anesthesia machines have a relatively low consumption of sevoflurane, but it is impossible to draw any definitive conclusions due to lack of data, and lack of access to machines from other manufacturers. / Detta examensarbete har, på uppdrag av Dräger, ett internationellt företag i framkant inom medicin- och säkerhetsteknik, undersökt hur användning av inhalationsanestetika påverkar miljön. Målet med arbetet är att undersöka hur den svenska sjukvården för närvarande arbetar med inhalationsanestetika, hur olika anestesimaskiner påverkar utsläppen, samt alternativ som finns tillgängliga för att minska dessa utsläpp. Klimatförändringar är en aktuell fråga i dagens samhälle men påverkan av anestesigaser på klimatet är inte allmänt känt, trots att dessa används dagligen i hälsovården. Genom datainsamling från två svenska sjukhus; Linköpings Universitetssjukhus och Örebro Universitetssjukhus, intervjuer med medicinsk- och medicinteknisk personal, samt en litteraturstudie har arbetets problemställning besvarats; Hur påverkar de mest frekvent använda anestesigaserna miljön? Resultaten visar i diagramform hur mycket anestesi gas som använts i tidigare nämnda sjukhus under operationer. Resultaten har analyserats och diskuterats utifrån forskningsfrågorna, dessutom har de olika resultaten från respektive sjukhus jämförts med varandra. Det kan ses att Drägers anestesimaskiner har en relativt låg konsumtion av sevofluran, men brist på data samt brist på tillgång till maskiner från andra producenter gör det omöjligt att dra en konkret slutsats.