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Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Physical Properties of Inhalational Agents

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Essentials of Pharmacology for Anesthesia, Pain Medicine, and Critical Care

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Abstract

While there are multiple inhalational agents discovered over the past few decades, only three remain particularly relevant today in the United States. This chapter will review major properties of sevoflurane, desflurane, isoflurane, nitrous oxide, and halothane in clinical practice as well as the basic pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of inhalational agents.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Hanjo Ko MD

  2. Department of Anesthesiology, Tulane Medical Center, New Orleans, LA, USA

    Alan David Kaye MD, PhD

  3. Department of Anesthesiology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, LA, 70112, USA

    Alan David Kaye MD, PhD

  4. Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Richard D. Urman MD, MBA

  5. Center for Perioperative Management and Medical Informatics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Richard D. Urman MD, MBA

Authors
  1. Hanjo Ko MD
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  2. Alan David Kaye MD, PhD
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  3. Richard D. Urman MD, MBA
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hanjo Ko MD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Anesthesiology and Pharmacology, LSU Health Sciences Center, New Orleans, Louisiana, USA

    Alan David Kaye

  2. Department of Pharmacy Practice, Thomas J. Long School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Stockton, California, USA

    Adam M. Kaye

  3. Center for Perioperative Management and Medical Informatics, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, USA

    Richard D. Urman

Chemical Structures

Chemical Structures

3.1
figure 2

Sevoflurane

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3.2
figure 3

Desflurane

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3.3
figure 4

Isoflurane

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3.4
figure 5

Nitrous oxide

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3.5
figure 6

Halothane

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Ko, H., Kaye, A.D., Urman, R.D. (2015). Pharmacokinetics, Pharmacodynamics, and Physical Properties of Inhalational Agents. In: Kaye, A., Kaye, A., Urman, R. (eds) Essentials of Pharmacology for Anesthesia, Pain Medicine, and Critical Care. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8948-1_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-8948-1_3

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-8947-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-8948-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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