Is Xenon gas a safe and cost-effective therapy in Anesthesia practice?

(Literature Review)

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Chapter 2: Literature Review

A review of the literature shows that Xenon, a noble gas with anesthetic and analgesic properties, has expanded its transformed interest as a result of its favorable physical properties which permit a fast emergence from anesthesia. On the other hand, high costs limit its application to a sub-set of patients who might achieve from Xenon, thus off-setting its costs. Until now, limited data on the high-risk patients regarding the performance of Xenon gas is present.

There has been increasing concern that inhalation anesthetics may cause teratogenic and other harmful effects. Physicians or nurses working in the operating rooms which are usually polluted by waste anesthetic gases have a high risk of spontaneous abortions and fetal malformations than control groups. The noble gas xenon having anesthetic properties are alike nitrous oxide and never cause teratogenic effects, even when exposed in same conditions. The researchers evaluated the nitrous oxides' teratogenic effects and of the inert gas, xenon. Their result showed that noteworthy teratogenic effects were found in the nitrous oxide, but not in Xenon. (Lane, 1980)

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. (Jordon, 2010)

Xenon is a rare gas, found only in minute quantities in the atmosphere. The sufficient amount of Xenon is not present in the atmosphere for the common use in the clinics also with modern methods of anesthesia. Xenon might never by its cost feature of production proves to be a reasonable mediator, but it significantly support in resolving the essential problems regarding hypothetical pertaining to anesthesia (Cullen, 1951). Although costly now, the investigators believe it may be possible to produce xenon economically and in sufficient quantities for general use as an anesthetic.

Xenon is non-inflammable. It is therefore much safer to administer than many of the anesthetic gases currently used, in which there is the ever-present danger of explosion and fire. Although this danger has been well-controlled, it is still necessary to take every precaution in order to assure safety. They also point out that xenon produces anesthesia very rapidly, adding that recovery from anesthesia is equally rapid. Patients who have undergone surgery with xenon as an anesthetic experienced no ill effects and became alert in a few minutes after removal of the anesthetic gas.

The Iowa doctors began working with xenon, investigating its possibilities. Animal research proved it to be an effective anesthetic without harmful effects. Only after extensive research with a variety of animals and after using the gas on themselves did the researchers pronounce xenon safe to use on patients in University hospitals.

Xenon anesthesia helps to produce the maximum regional blood flow in the brain, liver, kidney and ...