Anaes SAQs · Volatile & inhalational agents
Xenon as an anaesthetic
Short-answer question on xenon pharmacology and the practical barriers to its routine use.
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Prompt
Outline the pharmacology of xenon as an inhalational anaesthetic, and explain why it is not in routine use despite an excellent safety profile.
Question
Outline the pharmacology of xenon as an inhalational anaesthetic, and explain why it is not in routine use.[17]
References17ShowHide
- [1]Baima T, et al. Xenon anesthesia: shedding light on brain dynamics and clinical niches Curr Opin Anaesthesiol, 2026.PMID 42054173
- [2]Chen Q, et al. Noble gases xenon and argon: from cellular signalling mechanisms to organoprotection and clinical applications J Transl Med, 2026.PMID 41803953
- [3]Ponomarev A, et al. Improved Rat Heart Preservation Using High-Pressure Gaseous Perfusion with Oxygen-Xenon Mixture Pathophysiology, 2025.PMID 41283472
- [4]Hendrix JM, Kramer J. Anesthesia Inhalation Agents and Their Cardiovascular Effects StatPearls, 2025.PMID 31082134
- [5]Ma K, et al. Effects of Adjunct Analgesics and Novel Anesthetic Agents on Intraoperative Neuromonitoring: A Scoping Review Anesth Analg, 2026.PMID 42133452
- [6]Zamora EL, et al. Anesthetic Neuroprotection Based on Ion-Channel-Modulating Drugs in Acute Traumatic Brain Injury Cureus, 2026.PMID 41970094
- [7]Sienel RI, et al. Medicinal gases for treating central nervous system injuries Adv Drug Deliv Rev, 2026.PMID 41579968
- [8]Harris PD, Barnes R. The uses of helium and xenon in current clinical practice Anaesthesia, 2008.PMID 18289236
- [9]Ma D, et al. Xenon and hypothermia combine to provide neuroprotection from neonatal asphyxia Ann Neurol, 2005.PMID 16049939
- [10]Coburn M, et al. The hip fracture surgery in elderly patients (HIPELD) study to evaluate xenon anaesthesia for the prevention of postoperative delirium: a multicentre, randomized clinical trial Br J Anaesth, 2018.PMID 29397119
- [11]Al Tmimi L, et al. Xenon anaesthesia for patients undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass graft surgery: a prospective randomized controlled pilot trial Br J Anaesth, 2015.PMID 26385664
- [12]Azzopardi D, et al. Moderate hypothermia within 6 h of birth plus inhaled xenon versus moderate hypothermia alone after birth asphyxia (TOBY-Xe): a proof-of-concept, open-label, randomised controlled trial Lancet Neurol, 2016.PMID 26708675
- [13]Goto T, Suwa K, Uezono S, et al. The blood-gas partition coefficient of xenon may be lower than generally accepted. British journal of anaesthesia, 1998.PMID 9602599
- [14]Nakata Y, Goto T, Ishiguro Y, et al. Minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of xenon with sevoflurane in humans. Anesthesiology, 2001.PMID 11379681
- [15]Goto T, Nakata Y, Morita S The minimum alveolar concentration of xenon in the elderly is sex-dependent. Anesthesiology, 2002.PMID 12411796
- [16]Froeba G, Marx T, Pazhur J, et al. Xenon does not trigger malignant hyperthermia in susceptible swine. Anesthesiology, 1999.PMID 10519508
- [17]Jordan BD, Wright EL Xenon as an anesthetic agent. AANA journal, 2010.PMID 21067086