nitrous oxide

Nitrous oxide is a colorless, non-flammable gas with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is widely used in medicine as an inhaled anesthetic and analgesic agent for procedures in surgery and dentistry. Its mechanism of action involves antagonism of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in the central nervous system, leading to sedation and pain relief. Nitrous oxide has rapid onset and offset due to its low solubility in blood. It is also known for causing euphoria when inhaled—hence the nickname "laughing gas." In addition to medical uses, it has applications as a propellant in food processing and as an oxidizer in industry. Chronic or high-dose exposure can cause neurological toxicity (notably via vitamin B12 inhibition), anemia, or hypoxia if not administered with oxygen[1][4][9][10].

Brand names

Alnox

Other names

dinitrogen oxidelaughing gasóxido nitrosonitrious oxide