Review of nitrous oxide for analgesia and sedation and nursing implications

Abstract

Nitrous oxide/oxygen is one of the inhaled anesthetics that receives attention by scholars at home and abroad for its unique characteristics of excellence comparing with intravenous sedation analgesia which is more commonly used. In addition, the nurses who are the main body personnels of the pain management have certain differences in the implementation of the nitrous oxide/oxygen sedation analgesia both at home and abroad. In this paper, the nitrous oxide/oxygen analgesia and sedation and its nursing implications were reviewed from the physical and chemical properties, pharmacokinetic characteristics, excellent properties, mechanism of action and clinical application, then development directions of management in the future are put forwarded so as to provide theoretical evidences and practical guidelines for domestic medical staffs cooperating to implement the technology. Key words: Nitrous oxide; Oxygen; Analgesia and sedation