This study was performed to test the hypothesis that nitrous oxide augments the effects of diazepam sedation of young children by reducing crying and movement and improving the overall quality of sedation. Twenty-four children (mean age of 32 months) were sedated on two occasions with two different treatment regimens. All subjects received a standard oral dose of 0.5 mg/kg of diazepam with and ...

The effect of nitrous oxide on intracellular folate metabolism of the human bone marrow was studied in vitro. Bone marrow cells, obtained from healthy volunteers, were incubated with 5 x 10(-8)m-[(3)H]5-formyltetrahydrofolate (5-formylTHF) for 18 hr to label intracellular folate pools. Subsequently the cells were exposed to nitrous oxide for up to 10 hr, and the intracellular folate coenzyme le...

BACKGROUND The role of nitrous oxide in modern anaesthetic practice is contentious. One concern is that exposure to nitrous oxide may increase the risk of cardiovascular complications. ENIGMA II is a large randomized clinical trial currently underway which is investigating nitrous oxide and cardiovascular complications. Before the completion of this trial, we performed a systematic review and m...

Vitamin BM is a bound coenzyme of methionine synthase and has a tetrapyrrole ring with monovalent cobalt at the centre. The cobalt functions as a methyl carrier in the transmethylation reaction shown in figure 1. In 1968, Banks, Henderson and Pratt reported that nitrous oxide reacted in vitro with vitamin B12, converting the cobalt from the monovalent form (Cob(I)alamin) to the bivalent form (C...

A safe and effective form of pain relief would be an advantage in the prehospital treatment of patients experiencing extreme pain. Although used by many emergency medical services, 50% nitrous oxide (an inhaled analgesic known to have good pain relief properties) is not widely used by volunteer and semiprofessional organisations. This review aimed to determine whether 50% nitrous oxide is safe ...

Data from two published and one new meta-analysis were reviewed to compare the antiemetic efficacy of three different anaesthetic regimens: (i) propofol anaesthesia compared with another anaesthetic (control); (ii) anaesthesia without nitrous oxide compared with the same anaesthetic with nitrous oxide (control); (iii) propofol anaesthesia without nitrous oxide (TIVA) compared with another anaes...

Various studies have implicated generalized health problems with chronic exposure to trace levels of nitrous oxide. Recent investigations have reported that higher-than-recommended levels of nitrous oxide exist in the breathing zone of the dental staff. This study was undertaken to accurately determine waste nitrous oxide levels during pediatric sedations and to evaluate the effect of scavengin...

We have studied the effects of nitrous oxide on EEG burst suppression patterns during stable isoflurane anaesthesia in 13 ASA I patients. After induction of anaesthesia with propofol, the concentration of isoflurane was increased with continuous EEG monitoring to burst suppression level (mean end-tidal concentration of isoflurane, 1.7 (SD 0.2)%), and kept constant during the study. During surge...

Aims—To evaluate the eYcacy and safety of nitrous oxide for children undergoing painful procedures. Methods—Ninety children requiring repeated painful procedures (lumbar puncture, bone marrow aspirate, venous cannulation, or dressing changes) were given nitrous oxide at a variable concentration of 50–70%. Procedure related distress was evaluated using the Observational Scale of Behavioral Distr...

Dopamine release in the nucleus accumbens (NAC) plays a crucial role in the action of various psychotropic and addictive drugs, such as antagonists of the N-methyl-D-aspartate subtype of the glutamate. Although both nitrous oxide and xenon are N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, they differ in their potential for producing neuropsychological toxicity; therefore, we decided to examine the...