desflurane

Desflurane is a volatile, inhaled general anesthetic used for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adults and for maintenance anesthesia in children after initial induction with another agent. It is characterized by rapid onset and offset due to its low blood-gas partition coefficient, making it suitable for both inpatient and outpatient surgical procedures. Desflurane acts primarily by modulating various ion channels in the central nervous system, enhancing inhibitory neurotransmission (notably via GABA-A and glycine receptors) while inhibiting excitatory neurotransmission (such as glutamate receptors). This results in suppression of neuronal activity leading to loss of consciousness. Developed in the late 1980s to provide a more rapidly acting inhaled anesthetic, desflurane was approved by the FDA in 1992[1][2][5][6]. Its use requires administration by trained professionals due to potential adverse effects such as airway irritation, malignant hyperthermia risk, cardiovascular changes, and postoperative agitation[1][4][7].

Brand names

Suprane

Other names

desflurane