This study evaluated and compared the effect of three different sedation combinations on the young dental patient: hydroxyzine alone, hydroxyzine with nitrous oxide, and nitrous oxide alone. Nineteen uncooperative children with mean age of 37 months needing at least three restorative visits were selected for this study. Crying, alertness, and general behavior were evaluated during the dental pr...

Nitrite and nitrous oxide made up 40% of the hypolimnetic dissolved inorganic nitrogen in mesotrophic Lake Rotoiti, New Zealand, prior to hypolimnetic anoxia. Up to 120 mg of N m-3 as nitrite and 20 mg of N m-3 as nitrous oxide accumulated, whereas dissolved-oxygen concentrations remained between 1.0 and 0.2 g m-3 and were totally consumed when the hypolimnion became completely anoxic. Assays o...

BACKGROUND A number of studies have demonstrated a faster rate of increase in end-expired partial pressure as a fraction of inspired (Pa/Pi) for volatile agents in the presence of high concentrations of nitrous oxide, consistent with the second gas effect. However, no study has demonstrated a similar effect on arterial blood concentrations. METHODS The authors compared arterial and end-tidal ...

An endotracheal tube designed to reduce nitrous oxide-induced intracuff pressure increases (Mallinckrodt Brandt rediffusion tracheal tube) and its relationship to nitrous oxide exposure was studied. Thirty-two subjects undergoing general anesthesia with endotracheal intubation used either a conventional endotracheal tube (Mallinckrodt Intermediate Hi-Lo) or a nitrous oxide rediffusion endotrach...

Nitrous oxide is increasingly being used as a recreational drug. Prolonged use of nitrous oxide can have disabling neurological sequelae due to functional inactivation of vitamin B₁₂. We present three cases illustrating the neurological complications of using nitrous oxide. Two of these patients received nitrous oxide as a consequence of repeated hospital attendance and the third via 'Whippit' ...

Midogas (CIG Australia) nitrous oxide/oxygen blenders are commonly used in delivery wards in Australia. In this case report we describe an incident where a small hole in the diaphragm of the oxygen failure alarm in a Midogas nitrous oxide/oxygen blender led to retrograde flow of oxygen contaminating the nitrous oxide pipeline supply to the operating theatres and the delivery ward. This caused a...

Nitrous oxide is a widely used analgesic agent, used also in combination with anaesthetics during surgery. Recent research has raised concerns about possible neurotoxicity of nitrous oxide, particularly in the developing brain. Nitrous oxide is an N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-antagonist drug, similar in nature to ketamine, another anaesthetic agent. It has been linked to post-operative cardiovas...

Nitrous Oxide, our old companion is in use since long. Its two properties analgesia and reduction in MAC of inhalational agent make it a powerful tool in anaesthetic practice. Importance of nitrous oxide can be judged from the fact that sizable percentage of anaesthetists will cancel the elective list if nitrous oxide is not available! Widespread and prolonged use of nitrous oxide has brought i...

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Nitrous oxide has been used in clinical practice for over 150 years, often for pediatric procedures. Not only are there problems when used in patients with a variety of inborn errors of metabolism, but effects of nitrous oxide on the developing human brain are unknown. RECENT FINDINGS A recent adult human trial found that the use of nitrous oxide was associated with increase...

The effect of nitrous oxide on myogenic motor evoked potentials (MEPs) after multipulse stimulation is controversial. We investigated the effects of propofol in this paradigm. MEPs were elicited electrically by a single pulse and by trains of three and five pulses in rabbits anaesthetized with ketamine and fentanyl. Nitrous oxide 30-70% was given and MEPs were recorded. After washout of nitrous...