Sharmila 4sc4 NITROUS OXIDE A very good morning to mrs.cecilia and my beloved friends.

I would to share with you all about nitrous oxide.Nitrous oxide, commonly known as laughing gas or sweet air, is a chemical compound with the formula N2O. It is an oxide of nitrogen. At room temperature, it is a colourless non-flammable gas, with a slightly sweet odor and taste. It is used in surgery and dentistry for its anesthetic and analgesic effects. It is known as "laughing gas" due to the euphoric effects of inhaling it, a property that has led to its recreational use as a dissociative anesthetic. It is also used as an oxidizer in rocketry and in motor racing to increase the power output of engines. At

elevated

temperatures,

nitrous

oxide

is

powerful oxidizer similar to molecular oxygen. Nitrous oxide gives rise to no on reaction with oxygen atoms, and this no in turn reacts with ozone. As a result, it is the main naturally occurring regulator of stratospheric ozone. It is also a major greenhouse gas and air pollutant. Considered over a 100 year period, it has 298 times more impact per unit weight than carbon dioxide. The gas was first synthesized by English natural philosopher and chemist Joseph Priestley in 1772, who called it phlogisticated nitrous air (see phlogiston). Priestley published his discovery in the book Experiments and Observations on Different Kinds of Air (1775), where he described

how to produce the preparation of "nitrous air diminished", by heating iron filings dampened with nitric acid. The first important use of nitrous oxide was made possible by Thomas Beddoes and James Watt, who worked together to publish the book Considerations on the Medical Use and on the Production of Factitious Airs (1794). This book was important for two reasons. First, James Watt had invented a novel machine to produce "Factitious Airs" and a novel "breathing

apparatus" to inhale the gas. Second, the book also presented the new medical theories by Thomas Beddoes, that tuberculosis and other lung diseases could be treated by inhalation of "Factitious Airs".

The machine to produce "Factitious Airs" comprised three parts: A furnace to burn the needed material, a vessel with water where the produced gas passed through in a spiral pipe and finally the gas cylinder with a gasometer where the produced air could be tapped into portable air bags. The breathing apparatus comprised one of the portable air bags connected with a tube to a mouthpiece. With this new equipment being engineered and produced already in 1794, the way was now paved for clinical trials which began when Thomas Beddoes in 1798 established the "Pneumatic Institution for Relieving Diseases by Medical Airs" in Clifton . In the basement of the building, a large scale machine was producing the gases under the supervision of a young Humphrey Davy, who was encouraged to

experiment with new gases for patients to inhale. The first important work of Davy was to examine the nitrous oxide, with the results being published in his book: Researches, Chemical and

Philosophical (1800). In that publication, Davy notes the analgesic effect of nitrous oxide at page 465 and its potential to be used for surgical operations. Despite Davy's discovery that inhalation of nitrous oxide could relieve a conscious person from pain, another 44 years would elapse before doctors attempted to use it for anesthesia. The use of nitrous oxide as a recreational drug at "laughing gas parties", primarily arranged for the British upper class, became an immediate success beginning in 1799. While the effects of the gas generally make the user feel stuporus,

dreamy and sedated, some people also "get the giggles" in a state of euphoria, and erupt in laughter and overall amusement. Today, we know that nitrous oxide (N2O) on its own can only safely be used for short periods of time but that its safe to use for longer periods of time if you mix it with oxygen (O2). Hence, the laughing gas used now is called N2O-O2, and contains at least 30% oxygen. Usually, the mix is about 70% oxygen to 30% nitrous oxide. In medicine, sometimes a mix of 50% oxygen to 50% nitrous oxide is used. This is known as entonox or, more commonly, gas and air. Depending on the concentration and length of administration of laughing gas, four levels of sedation can be experienced :a tingling sensation,

especially in the arms and legs, or a feeling of vibration ,quickly followed by 1. warm sensations, and 2. a feeling of well-being, euphoria and/or floating. During heavier sedation, hearing may dissolve into a constant, electronic-like throbbing. 3. At a deeper level of sedation again, sleepiness, difficulty to keep ones eyes open or speak can occur. Should nausea set in, it means youre definitely oversedated! If you experience any unpleasant symptoms, let your dentist know so that they can adjust the percentage of N2O. Alternatively, just take the mask off.

During relative analgesia, you should stay within the first three stages. The dream stage means that the N2O concentration is too high, or that the gas has been administered for too long. This stage can be associated with side effects such as nausea and other including should potentially unpleasant N2O

sensations, concentration

flashbacks. always be

gradually

increased (titrated) at each visit, because peoples tolerance can vary from day to day. If youve had bad experiences with laughing gas in the past, it is highly likely that these were due to improper administration and too high a

concentration of N2O. Interestingly, the actual mechanism of action of N2O is still unknown! However, its been observed that N2O depresses almost all forms of

sensation especially hearing, touch and pain, and that it seems to disinhibit some emotional centers in the brain. The ability to concentrate or perform intelligent acts is only minimally affected, as its memory. Thank you.