Halothane

[cchoukal]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

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?