Halothane

[cchoukal]

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Ever see halothane on your gas analyzer? 65 yo healthy guy for revision hip arthroplasty. Case is normal and stable, running sevo and fentanyl, and out o nowhere, vaporizer starts reading nearly a Mac of halothane. I've periodically seen very short durations of small fractions of odd gasses, but this has lasted awhile. Any thoughts?

 

[Stellar Clouds]

There are a couple articles out there that say it could be from methane produced in the patient and erroneously recorded as halothane.

Here is a case report. My favorite line is at the end:

Finally, we would like to add that the gas did not smell like halothane or like human flatulence and that the LMA went in at the right end.

 

[Java563]

I've only ever seen if after giving albuterol

 

[norwood]

I've only ever seen if after giving albuterol

That's the most common reason. Residents, do you know why it happens?

 

[Direct Laryngoscopy]

It's still used in 3rd world countries like Brooklyn NY.

 

[Per4mer8]

That's the most common reason. Residents, do you know why it happens?

As the current gas analyzers use infrared spectrum I would guess the albuterol (or its propellant) have similar wavelengths? Just a guess though as my cursory google-fu failed me.

 

[WholeLottaGame7]

As the current gas analyzers use infrared spectrum I would guess the albuterol (or its propellant) have similar wavelengths? Just a guess though as my cursory google-fu failed me.

I've only seen it after giving albuterol, also. I just assumed the same as above.

 

[IlDestriero]

I used to see it all the time on the gas analyzer, when using Halothane.😀

 

[Idiopathic]

yeah i had no idea why it showed up until a resident told me the albuterol thing the other day

 

[norwood]

As the current gas analyzers use infrared spectrum I would guess the albuterol (or its propellant) have similar wavelengths? Just a guess though as my cursory google-fu failed me.

Well, good guess - it's the latter! The propellant is sufficiently similar to halothane that it confuses the machine. Cool, no?