Nitrous Oxide Safe For Surgical Patients With Heart Disease

A new study found that nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas can be used to anesthetize surgery patients, who are at risk of heart disease.

“The findings are welcome news because nitrous oxide is widely used around the world as part of the mixture of agents for general anesthesia,” lead author Dr. Kate Leslie, a professor at Royal Melbourne Hospital in Australia, said in an American Society of Anesthesiologists news release.

Complications and Death Might Increase On Usage Of Nitrous Oxide For Anesthesia
Giving nitrous oxide as part of general anesthesia for noncardiac surgery doesn't increase the rate of complications and death—and might even decrease the risk of such events.

‘The study found that nitrous oxide is safe for surgery. The findings help alleviate concerns raised in recent years about the effect of nitrous oxide on the heart and vascular system’

Tweet it Now

"Nitrous oxide is inexpensive, simple to administer and helps with pain as well as anesthesia," she added.

The study involved almost 6,000 patients. All the patients had surgery that did not involve the heart. The participants of the study received either general anesthesia with nitrous oxide or general anesthesia with nitrogen.

The study found that a year after surgery, there was no difference in the rates of heart attack, stroke, disability or death between the two groups.

Nitrous Oxide Anesthesia Boost Heart Attack Risk
During surgery patients receiving nitrous oxide as part of general anesthesia may be at increased long term risk of myocardial infraction (heart attack, says a study.

"This helps alleviate concerns raised in recent years about the effect of nitrous oxide on the heart and vascular system," said Leslie.

The study is published online in the journal Anesthesiology.

Will Laughing Gas Have the Last Laugh After Being an Effective Anesthetic?
Experts claim that nitrous oxide does not increase the risk of surgical site infection, post-operative myocardial infarction, or cancer recurrence.

Source-Medindia

Laughing Gas may Help Treat Severe Depression
Nitrous oxide or laughing gas could be used as a treatment for severe depression in patients whose symptoms don't respond to normal therapies.