Desflurane 668634 216585721 2008-06-02T09:04:31Z Sniggler 7215289 {{drugbox | IUPAC_name = 2-(difluoromethoxy)-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoro-ethane | image = Desflurane2.png | image2 = Desflurane-3D-balls.png | CAS_number = 57041-67-5 | ATC_prefix = N01 | ATC_suffix = AB07 | ATC_supplemental = | PubChem = 42113 | DrugBank = APRD00907 | C = 3 |H = 2 |F = 6 |O = 1 | molecular_weight = 168.038 g/mol | bioavailability = | protein_bound = | metabolism = Not metabolized | elimination_half-life = Elimination dependent on minute ventilation | pregnancy_category = | legal_status = | routes_of_administration = }} '''Desflurane''' (2,2,2-trifluoro-1-fluoroethyl-difluoromethyl ether) is a highly fluorinated methyl ethyl ether used for maintenance of [[general anaesthesia]]. Together with [[sevoflurane]], it is gradually replacing [[isoflurane]] for human use, except in the third world where its high cost precludes its use. It has the most rapid onset and offset of the [[volatile anaesthetic]] drugs used for [[general anaesthesia]] due to its low solubility in blood. The major drawbacks of desflurane are its low potency, its pungency and its high cost. It may cause [[tachycardia]] and airway irritability when administered at concentrations greater than 10 vol%. Due to this airway irritability, Desflurane is infrequently used to induce anesthesia via inhalation techniques. Though it vaporises very readily, it is a liquid at room temperature. [[Anaesthetic machine]]s are fitted with a specialized [[anaesthetic vaporiser]] unit that heats liquid desflurane to a constant temperature. This enables the agent to be available at a constant vapor pressure, negating the effects that fluctuating ambient temperatures would otherwise have on its concentration imparted into the fresh gas flow of the anesthesia machine. Desflurane, along with [[enflurane]] and to a lesser extent [[isoflurane]], has been shown to react with the [[carbon dioxide]] absorbent in anesthesia circuits to produce detectable levels of [[carbon monoxide]] through degradation of the anesthetic agent. Baralyme appears less prone to cause this degradation than [[soda lime]]. Dry conditions in the carbon dioxide absorbent are conducive to this phenomenon, such as those resulting from high fresh gas flows.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anesthesia-analgesia.org/cgi/reprint/80/6/1187.pdf |title=Carbon Monoxide Production from Degradation of Desflurane |author=Fang, et al. |date=1995 |publisher=Anesthesia and Analgesia |language=English}}</ref> ===Physical properties=== {| |[[Boiling point]] : ||align=right| 23.5 °C ||(at 1 [[atmosphere (unit)|atm]]) |- |[[Density]] : || 1.465 g/cm³|| (at 20 °C) |- |[[Molecular Weight]] : ||align=right| 168|| |- |[[Vapor pressure]]: ||align=right| 88.5 kPa ||align=right| 672 mmHg|| (at 20 °C) |- | ||align=right| 107 kPa ||align=right|804 mmHg || (at 24 °C) |- |Blood:Gas partition coefficient : ||align=right| 0.42 || |- |Oil:Gas partition coefficient : ||align=right| 19 || |- |[[Minimum alveolar concentration|MAC]] : ||align=right| 6 vol % || |- |} ==References== {{reflist|2}} ===Book references=== * Eger, Eisenkraft, Weiskopf. ''The Pharmacology of Inhaled Anesthetics''. 2003. * Rang, Dale, Ritter, Moore. ''Pharmacology 5th Edition''. 2003. {{General anesthetics}} [[Category:Anesthetics]] [[Category:Ethers]] [[Category:Organofluorides]] [[de:Desfluran]] [[fr:Desflurane]] [[it:Desflurano]] [[nl:Desfluraan]] [[sv:Desfluran]]