The effects of subanaesthetic concentrations of xenon in volunteers.
Anaesthesia March 1, 2002 A Bedi, C McCarroll, J M Murray et al.
Xenon at subanaesthetic concentrations produced sedation in healthy male volunteers, with the concentration needed ranging from 27% to 45% (median 35%). Respiratory rate decreased markedly during xenon sedation, but no airway irritability occurred. Eight of ten subjects found xenon sedation pleasant and preferable to nitrous oxide, and one subject required anti-emetic treatment with nitrous oxide compared to none with xenon. The Critical Flicker Fusion test and electroencephalogram parameters did not reliably predict sedation. Xenon was well tolerated with no adverse physiological effects, though subjectively dissimilar to nitrous oxide.