What is an anesthetic gas detector?

Anaesthetic gas detectors are pre-coking devices which, similar to a fire or smoke detector, are designed to react early to an increased concentration of various anaesthetic gases in the room air. These devices are generally not used in everyday clinical practice, as the common respiration and anaesthesia devices have appropriate devices to prevent gas leakage or to indicate it early. However, anaesthetic gas detectors are finding more and more customers in the private sector, especially among campers and truck drivers who fear being put out of action by anaesthetic gases and subsequently being robbed. However, the reliability of these devices varies greatly, as there is a whole range of different anaesthetic gases, especially on the black market, and the calibration of the devices must be regularly adapted to the various climatic conditions. These factors make the reliable detection of anaesthetic gases very difficult.

Which anesthetic gases may be used during pregnancy and birth?

General anaesthesia during pregnancy is always associated with a higher risk, both for the mother and the unborn child. If gas anaesthesia is chosen during pregnancy, factors such as the week of pregnancy and secondary diseases of the mother play a decisive role in the choice of anaesthetic. In general, the newer inhalation anaesthetics such as sevoflurane and desflurane are considered safe drugs during pregnancy.

For the volatile narcotics enflurane and isoflurane there are isolated studies discussing an increased incidence of cleft lip and palate after their use, a clear connection could not yet be proven. Laughing gas is clearly contraindicated for gas anaesthesia during pregnancy, as a clearly damaging effect on the foetus has been proven. The noble gas xenon sounds promising for use in pregnancy, as it is almost not metabolized in the human body and therefore should not cause any interactions in the unborn child. However, xenon has not yet been approved for everyday clinical use and thus there is not yet sufficient experience of its use during pregnancy.