Question on N2O and air cavities contraindication.

[mersault]

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Hi everyone,
Question: why is N2O only contraindicated in say a pneumothorax? Apparently since it is very insoluble in blood compared to other inhalation all agents, once it gets into the blood stream it will "find" these air filled cavities and then diffuse into them more rapidly than nitrogen is absorbed back into blood. Are N20 and N2 considered the same molecule here? Cause desflurane is even less soluble in blood but doesn't have this contraindication.

Thanks for any light you can shed on this for me.
-Mersault.

 

[Idiopathic]

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[mersault]

So are we assuming that N2O and N2 try to reach equilibrium? And that N2 wants to reach this equilibrium with N2O but not with the other gases?

 

[partydoc]

So are we assuming that N2O and N2 try to reach equilibrium? And that N2 wants to reach this equilibrium with N2O but not with the other gases?

Which equation are we talking about where N2O and N2 interact with each other? My understanding is that these gases need to be thought about independent of each other. The solubility of one gas will not affect another unless involved in a chemical reaction.

 

[KLPM]

Past thread on the topic: http://forums.studentdoctor.net/showthread.php?t=425703

 

[ASA6]

this will happen with any gas. however you only use 6% des. and only 2% sevo, whereas you may use 50% nitrous. so air cavities will increase with des, just to a much smaller extent.