Anesthetics: From Diethyl Ether to Modern Agents

What were the major limitations of early anesthetic agents?

Choose the best answer:

A. Highly flammable and toxic

B. Non-reactive and safe

C. Odorless and non-toxic

Answer:

A. Highly flammable and toxic

Early anesthetic agents such as diethyl ether and chloroform were highly flammable and toxic, posing risks during surgery. They have been replaced by less flammable and safer modern anesthetics. Concerns over toxicity and environmental impact also led to reduced use of older haloalkanes.

The major limitation of early anesthetic agents such as diethyl ether, cyclopropane, ethylene, divinyl ether, chloroform, ethyl chloride, and trichloroethylene was that they were highly flammable. Additionally, many of these agents, especially halogenated ethers like chloroform and diethyl ether, posed serious risks of toxicity. Their use in medical practice has been largely supplanted by the development of modern inhalational anesthetics that are not only less flammable but also have improved safety profiles.

Further, older haloalkanes like chloroform and trichloroethylene have been largely phased out due to concerns over their toxicity and environmental impact. Modern medical practice requires anesthetics that minimize both the risk of fire during surgical procedures and the potential for harm to patients and the environment.