What does reversibility mean when used to describe anesthetic gases?
The anesthetic gases cannot be reversed by another medication. They have to be reversed by turning off the supply that is entering the patient. When you turn off the vaporizer, the gases will then begin to move from the patient back out to the expiratory limb of your anesthesia circuit. It’s simply the fusion of gases across a membrane from a high concentration to a low concentration. You cannot reverse these gases. They have to be ventilated from the patient. Therefore ventilation is the most important aspect of your anesthetic. If you increase your minute ventilation, you can remove these gases from the patient quicker. Please keep in mind that other agents, such as muscle relaxants, can be reversed by reversal agents, narcotics can be reversed with Narcan or Nalaxone, and Versed, or the Valium-type medications, can be reversed with Flumazenil or Romazicon.
