Xenon as an anesthetic agent.
Discovered in 1898 by British chemists, xenon is a rare gas belonging to the noble gases of the periodic table. Xenon is used in many different ways, from high-intensity lamps to jet propellant, and in 1939, its anesthetic properties were discovered. Xenon exerts its anesthetic properties, in part, through the noncompetitive inhibition of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors. Currently, xenon is being used primarily throughout Europe; however, the high price of manufacturing and scavenging the noble gas has discouraged more widespread use. As technology in anesthetic delivery improves, xenon is being investigated further as a possible replacement for nitrous oxide as an inhalational agent. This article reviews the anesthetic properties of xenon and current and potential research about the gas.
University of Alabama at Birmingham Hospital, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.
Bryan D
BD
Jordan
Elizabeth Laura
EL
Wright
D000768:Anesthesia, General / Q000379:methods*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002319:Cardiovascular System / Q000187:drug effects; D016527:Drug Costs; D006801:Humans; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009609:Nitrous Oxide / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005741:Noble Gases; D014978:Xenon / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000493:pharmacokinetics / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D005741:Noble Gases; D014978:Xenon; D009609:Nitrous Oxide