PATIENT INFORMATION LEAFLET ON ISOFLURANE

Please read this leaflet carefully before you receive isoflurane. It gives a summary of the information available on isoflurane. If you have any questions or are not sure about anything, ask your ward doctor or anaesthetist.

What's in Isoflurane?

Isoflurane is supplied as a pure liquid containing only isoflurane. It does not contain any other ingredients.

Isoflurane comes in bottles of 250 ml.

What is isoflurane used for ?

Isoflurane is an inhalation (breathed in) anaesthetic gas generally used to maintain, but sometimes to induce, general anaesthesia (deep, pain-free sleep) during operations.

Before receiving isoflurane

Tell your doctor or anaesthetist if you are currently taking any medicines.

Tell your doctor or anaesthetist if you have been told that you are allergic to isoflurane or any other anaesthetic or if you know that you or anyone in your family has had a condition called malignant hyperthermia (rapid rise in body temperature) during anaesthesia with isoflurane or other anaesthetics.

Tell your ward doctor or anaesthetist if you have previously had several general anaesthetics other than isoflurane, particularly if repeated over a short period of time, as some anaesthetics can occasionally cause problems such as jaundice.

Tell your ward doctor or anaesthetist if you are suffering from any other illnesses, other than those connected with your operation, such as severe headaches, nausea , vomiting, or a neuromuscular disease (a condition that affects muscles e.g Duchenne muscular dystrophy).

As with all drugs, it is important that you tell your ward doctor or anaesthetist if you are pregnant or could be pregnant.

Receiving isoflurane

The dosage of isoflurane that you will receive will be decided by your anaesthetist and will vary depending on your age and weight and the type of operation that you are having.

Isoflurane is an inhalation (breathed in) anaesthetic gas. Isoflurane liquid is changed to gas in a vaporiser. Very occasionally patients may be asked to breathe in the isoflurane gas via a mask but usually they will receive an injection of another anaesthetic to make them go to sleep before they receive isoflurane. Isoflurane has a strong smell but this is quite normal and sleep occurs very quickly.

What problems can Isoflurane cause?

On coming round from any anaesthetic you may experience shivering, nausea and vomiting. If you have any other unusual symptoms after receiving isoflurane anaesthesia tell your ward doctor or anaesthetist immediately.

As with other anaesthetics, low blood pressure (hypotension), slow shallow breathing (respiratory depression) or raised body temperature (malignant hyperthermia) can occur during anaesthesia. Convulsions or liver injury can occur very rarely.

 

Levels of fluoride in the blood may be raised slightly during and after anaesthesia, due to the body breaking down isoflurane but these levels are not believed to be harmful and soon return to normal. An increase in the number of white cells in the blood has also been seen.

Isoflurane can sometimes cause palpitations or an irregular heart beat during anaesthesia.

If you have any questions about isoflurane which are not answered by this leaflet, ask your ward doctor or anaesthetist.

Expiry Date

Product will not be used after expiry date shown on the product label.