Minimal flow nitrous oxide anesthesia

Abstract

This report presents data accumulated using an oxygen electrode to minimize the waste of nitrous oxide and other agents during clinical anesthesia in 343 patients. Adequate oxygenation can be maintained for as long as three hours in patients during controlled ventilation at inflow rates of 300 ml O2 and 200 ml N2O/min. During spontaneous ventilation, N2O uptake averaged 73 ml/min at one hour.