Nitrous Oxide and the Second Gas Effect on Emergence from AnesthesiaMolly Orr, BS, BSN, CCRN, SRNA

Oakland University-Beaumont

Graduate Program of Nurse Anesthesia

Peyton, P. J., Chao, I., Weinberg, L., Robinson, G. J. B., & Thompson, B. R. (2011). Nitrous oxide and the second gas effect on emergence from anesthesia. Anesthesiology, 114(3), 596-602.

Departments of Anesthesia and Surgery, Austin Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

Definition

What is second gas effect?

What do we know about it?

Why is it important?

Study concept

Does the elimination of N2O affect the rate of decrease in end-tidal and arterial sevoflurane concentrations (…and thus speed emergence)?

The null hypothesis: The rapid diffusion of N2O at the end of inhalational anesthesia has no effect on the rate of reduction in end-tidal and arterial concentrations of volatile anesthetic (i.e. sevoflurane)

Study design

Randomized controlled study

Patients randomly assigned to experimental or control group via sealed envelope (N=20)

Control group (n=10): Gas mixture of sevo in air-oxygen

Experimental (nitrous oxide) group (n=10): Gas mixture of sevo in a 2:1 mixture of nitrous oxide-oxygen

Inclusion criteria

Adults (> 18 yo) capable of giving informed consent

General surgery at least 1 hour duration

Requires arterial line for hemodynamic monitoring

Arterial line samples used for gas analysis

Exclusion criteria

History of severe lung disease (PFT criteria)

Symptomatic ischemic heart disease

Super obesity (BMI>45)

Pregnancy

H/O severe PONV

Critically ill/immunologically compromised

Vit B12 or folate deficiency

Presence of gas-filled, space occupying lesion

Methods used

Premed: 1-2 mg midazolam IV

Standard monitoring + arterial line + BIS

Preoxygenated

Induction: 1.5-2.5 mg/kg propofol IV, opioids (1-2 mcg/kg fentanyl and/or morphine 0.05-0.1 mg/kg), nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocker

Endotracheal intubation, controlled ventilation 12-15 breaths/min, EtCO2 maintained 28-33 mmHg

Maintenance: Inhalational anesthetic mixture (with air-oxygen or with nitrous-oxygen) initiated and sevo concentration adjusted to maintain BIS 40-60 (N2O does not affect BIS!)

Normothermia with forced air warming device

Methods cont’d

At conclusion of surgery: Baseline 10 mL arterial blood sample + 1 mL sample for

respiratory blood gas analysis

End-tidal gas concentrations over 20 sec recorded simultaneously with gas analyzer

Baseline hemodynamic, ventilation data, SpO2, temp and BIS numbers recorded

After baseline obtained, neuromuscular blockade reversed with 2.5 mg neostigmine and 0.4 mg glycopyrrolate, fresh gas mixture changed to 100% O2 at 9 L/min

Methods cont’d

Arterial blood gas samples drawn, end-tidal gas analysis, and other vital data collected at 2 min and 5 min

Patient then loudly commanded to open his or her eyes, command repeated every 30 sec until response; time from command until eye opening was noted

Extubation after standard criteria met; time to extubation noted

Final arterial blood gas sample obtained in PACU at 30 min

The dependent variables: Primary and Secondary Endpoints

“Primary study endpoints”: Differences in the fraction of baseline partial pressures of

sevoflurane in arterial blood at 2 min and 5 min

End-tidal sevo partial pressures at 2 min and 5 min

End-tidal and arterial concentrations of CO2 were also determined at 2 min and 5 min

“Secondary study endpoints”: BIS number comparisons between the two groups at 2, 5,

and 10 min

Time to eye opening

Time to extubation

Statistical Analysis

Estimated 20 patients required for analysis

Two-tailed t test for unpaired data (with Bonferroni correction for multiple measurements in each patient)

Two-way ANOVA to determine whether any measured differences changed significantly over time

Best-fit curves for primary endpoints were generated using least squares method

Two-tailed t test used for secondary endpoints (after Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality testing)

P value of 0.05 or less considered statistically significant

Results/Conclusion

During the first 5 min after conclusion of anesthesia, the arterial partial pressure of sevo was 39% higher in the control group than in the nitrous oxide group (P<0.04), but was not found to be statistically significant at 2 min and 30 min

End-tidal differences in sevo were not significant between the two groups at 2 min and 5 min

PaCO2 decline at 2 min was significant in N2O group vs. the control group (d/t diffusion hypoxia), but no sig diff remained at 5 min

No significant diff in BIS at 2 and 5 min between two groups

Times to eye opening and extubation were significantly shorter in nitrous oxide group (8 min and 10 min, respectively) compared to control group (11 min and 13 min). [P<0.04]

Strengths of study

Independent variables were consistent between the two groups (e.g. age, sex, weight, operative time, baseline vent parameters, baseline VS, baseline temps and BIS numbers)

Anesthetic technique was standardized between two groups (apart from administration of nitrous oxide)

Measurements conducted in identical manner between two groups

Limitations of study

Small sample size (N=20, two outliers later excluded)

Variations in characteristics of people who enrolled in study (e.g. age, end organ function, smoker vs. non-smoker, V/Q mismatching, etc.)

Confounding variables as identified by authors, such as trend toward lower HR and BP in nitrous oxide group, which correlates to 10-20% lower cardiac output and may affect alveolar anesthetic concentrations

Use of nitrous with volatile anesthetic reduces volatile anesthetic dose; has “MAC sparing” effect

No statistical significance was found in end-tidal sevo (i.e. alveolar) concentrations between the two groups

Overall takeaway

How can we use this in practice?

A more rapid emergence?