Most anesthetic gases are pressurized. When any gas is released from a pressurized container, its temperature quickly drops. If inhaled directly from a pressurized container, a gas can cause frostbite because of its extremely low temperature. After circulating through the brain and other organs, most anesthetics are exhaled in their original form. Some inhalants are metabolized by the liver, sometimes into toxic substances.
Anesthetic gases displace oxygen in the lungs and depress the respiratory center of the brain.
If they lose consciousness, they are unable to remove the source of the gas, and may die of asphyxiation. A 20-year old was admitted to a hospital in Flordia after inhaling a homemade nitrous concoction. He displayed chills, chest pain, wheezing, and coughed-up mucus. Within five days, the patient was back to normal. Kerner K. Current topics in inhalant abuse.