title: Specific gravities of desflurane, enflurane, halothane, isoflurane, and sevoflurane.
abstract: We determined the specific gravities of presently available volatile anesthetics in order to supply a consistent quantitative basis for calibration standards. Using four 50-mL volumetric flasks, we obtained the following values at 20 degrees C: desflurane 1.4651 +/- 0.0004 g/mL (mean +/- SD); enflurane 1.5230 +/- 0.0003 g/mL; halothane 1.8680 +/- 0.0007 g/mL; isoflurane 1.5019 +/- 0.0006 g/mL; and sevoflurane 1.5203 +/- 0.0008 g/mL. Measurements made at 0 degree C, 10 degrees C, 20 degrees C, and 25 degrees C (not for desflurane at 25 degrees C) revealed a decrease in specific gravity of 0.00250 +/- 0.00014 g/mL for each degree of increase in temperature. These data bear on the issue of cost for anesthetics that are stored as liquids, but used as gases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesia, University of California, San Francisco 94143-0464.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Laster
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: E I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Eger
mesh_terms: D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000592:standards*; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000737:chemistry*; D000077335:Desflurane; D004737:Enflurane / Q000737:chemistry; D004987:Ethers / Q000737:chemistry; D006221:Halothane / Q000737:chemistry; D007530:Isoflurane / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D013046:Specific Gravity
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D004987:Ethers; D008738:Methyl Ethers; D000077149:Sevoflurane; D004737:Enflurane; D000077335:Desflurane; D007530:Isoflurane; D006221:Halothane