Enflurane

Excerpt

Enflurane or 2-chloro-1,1,2,-trifluoroethyl-difluoromethyl ether (CHF2OCF2CHFCl)) is a halogenated inhaled anesthetic that can now be considered a chapter of the history of anesthesia. It was synthesized by Ross Terrell in 1963. It was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for the induction and maintenance of general anesthesia (GA), becoming available in the United States in 1972. It was the most widely used inhalation between the late '60s and most of the '80s. However, its usage has decreased in favor of newer halogenated anesthetics such as isoflurane (enflurane is a structural isomer of isoflurane), sevoflurane, and desflurane which show a better pharmacokinetic profile (faster induction and emergence times) and are less burdened, compared to enflurane, with side effects, especially in terms of nephrotoxicity and pro-convulsant activity. Enflurane has also been used to treat refractory status asthmasticus, though this indication is not FDA approved.