CIMIT Summer Education Series 2009: Frontiers of Inhalation Technologies in Biomedical Sciences and Clinical Medicine

7.21.2009 Role of Inhalation Technologies for Organ Protection and Patient Sedation in Critical Care: Clinical Challenges of Xenon Anesthesia: Pros and Cons SPEAKER: Thomas Marx, MD, PhD: Air Liquide MODERATOR: Moderator: Augustine Choi, MD: BWH, CIMIT

Forum Summary

Xenon is a noble gas that was first described in 1892.  As far as scientists can tell, the planet earth contains approximately one thousand times less xenon per unit mass than other objects in space.  The most current theory for why the earth seems to be missing xenon is that much of the earth’s xenon is bound to minerals in sand and stone.  Despite the rarity of xenon, its anesthetic properties have been appreciated since World War II.  Unlike chlorofluorocarbons (CFC’s), hydrofluorocarbons (HFC’s), and hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFC’s), xenon does not destroy the ozone layer and does not cause global warming.  Its major downside is that it is expensive to obtain.

Xenon has many advantages over volatile anesthetics.  It does not abolish cerebral autoregulation, and it does not seem to cause malignant hyperthermia.  The gas was shown to have neuroprotective properties in neonatal rats exposed to hypoxia.  Its neuroprotective properties may be related to its effect on NMDA receptors.  Xenon was approved for use in some patients in Germany in 2005, but more studies must be conducted before it is approved for use in the sickest patients. 

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