Recent Topics on Inhalation Anesthetics

Abstract

  An inhalation anesthetic, sevoflurane has a small blood/gas partition coefficient (0.63), adequate anesthetic potency (1.71% as 1 MAC), and no airway irritability. Sevoflurane is also to be expected to maintain the respiratory system. Among the currently available inhalation anesthetics, sevoflurane is thus the best anesthetic for volatile induction and maintenance of anesthesia (VIMA). Remifentanil synergistically decreases the amount of sevoflurane necessary to induce sedation and analgesia.