Everything about Sevoflurane totally explained
Sevoflurane (2,2,2-trifluoro-1-[trifluoromethyl]ethyl fluoromethyl ether), also called
fluoromethyl hexafluoroisopropyl ether, is a sweet-smelling, non-flammable, highly fluorinated methyl isopropyl ether used for induction and maintenance of
general anesthesia. Together with
desflurane, it's replacing
isoflurane and
halothane in modern
anesthesiology. It is often administered in a mixture of
nitrous oxide and oxygen. After
desflurane it's the
volatile anesthetic with the fastest onset and offset. Though desflurane has the lowest blood/gas coefficient of the currently used volatile anesthetics, sevoflurane is the preferred agent for mask induction due to its lesser irritation to mucous membranes.
Though it vaporizes readily, it's a liquid at room temperature and is administered via an
anesthetic vaporizer attached to an
anesthetic machine.
It was introduced into clinical practice initially in Japan in 1990. The rights for sevoflurane in the US and other countries are held by
Abbott Laboratories.
Sevoflurane forms at least two degradation products,
Compound A [fluoromethyl-2,2-difluoro-1-(trifluoromethyl)vinylether] and
Compound B [1,1,1,3,3-pentafluoro-2-(fluoromethoxy)-3-methoxypropane], on contact with the
soda lime in a
rebreathing apparatus, which absorbs exhaled
carbon dioxide, especially at higher temperatures and when the soda lime is desiccated. Compound A has been shown to cause renal necrosis in rats. In humans, direct histological evidence of renal toxicity hasn't been demonstrated, although there's dose-related
proteinuria,
glycosuria and enzymuria. During low-flow anaesthesia, when the lower fresh gas flow leads to decreased flushing of the circuit and increased temperature of the soda lime, Compound A may build up to clinically significant levels. As a result, sevoflurane is sometimes administered with a minimum fresh gas flow of 2 liters per minute, making it a relatively expensive choice for maintaining general anesthesia.
Physical properties
| Boiling point: |
58.6 °C |
(at 101.325 kPa) |
| Density: |
1.517–1.522 g/cm³ |
(at 20 °C) |
| MAC : |
2 vol % |
|
| Molecular Weight: |
200 u |
|
| Vapor pressure: |
157 mmHg (20.9 kPa) |
(at 20 °C) |
| |
197 mmHg (26.3 kPa) |
(at 25 °C) |
| |
317 mmHg (42.3 kPa) |
(at 36 °C) |
| Blood:Gas Partition Coefficient: |
0.68 |
|
| Oil:Gas Partition Coefficient: |
47 |
|
|
Further Information
Get more info on 'Sevoflurane'.
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