New anaesthesia advice after medical trials
A study carried out in Australia has found that Nitrous Oxide - used in operations as an anaesthetic for hundreds of years may lead to a higher risk of pneumonia.
“Paul Myles at the Alfred hospital in Melbourne collected data on about 2,000 patients in hospitals across the UK, Australia and Asia who received anaesthetic either with or without nitrous oxide. Those in the control group received a mix of around 80% oxygen plus either an injected or breathable anaesthetic. Those in the nitrous oxide group received 70% nitrous oxide as a baseline anaesthetic plus others to help put them under and keep them knocked out.”
“The team found that patients who did not receive nitrous oxide were 50% less likely to contract pneumonia and 20-30% less likely to suffer fever or wound infections after the surgery. They were also less likely to suffer heart problems and die after surgery, but these differences were not statistically significant, so the researchers are investigating them in a larger trial of about 7,000 patients. The research was published in the journal Anaesthesiology and is reported in New Scientist today.”
