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Halothane

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Halothane is a volatile anaesthetic gas, with many advantageous properties:

  • potent at relatively low concentration
  • smooth induction
  • non-irritant
  • pleasant to inhale
  • causes bronchodilation

However, its use has declined as a result of a number of disadvantages:

  • associated with severe hepatotoxicity:
    • severity of hepatotoxicity is increased by repeated exposure
    • halothane should not be used within 3 months of previous exposure
    • if the patient has had any episode of jaundice or pyrexia with halothane, it must never be administered again
    • in some series it accounts for some 5% of acute hepatic failure
  • associated with cardiorespiratory depression, peripheral vasodilatation and sensitisation of the myocardium to catecholamines - elevated risk of arrhythmias
  • little analgesia or muscular relaxation
  • can imitate malignant hyperpyrexia

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