page_title: Halothane
section_title: Medical uses
hierarchical_section_title: Halothane / Medical uses
caption_attribution_description: English: Packaging of ICI Fluothane (their trade name for halothane)
context_page_description: Halothane sold under the brand name Fluothane among others, is a general anaesthetic. It can be used to start or maintain anaesthesia. One of its benefits is that it does not increase the production of saliva, which can be particularly useful in those who are difficult to intubate. It is given by inhalation.
  Side effects include an irregular heartbeat, respiratory depression, and hepatotoxicity. Like all volatile anesthetics, it should not be used in people with a personal or family history of malignant hyperthermia. It appears to be safe in porphyria. It is unclear whether use during pregnancy is harmful to the baby, and it is not generally recommended for use during a C-section. Halothane is a chiral molecule that is used as a racemic mixture.
  Halothane was discovered in 1955. It is on the World Health Organization's List of Essential Medicines. Its use in developed countries has been mostly replaced by newer anesthetic agents such as sevoflurane. It is no longer commercially available in the United States. Halothane also contributes to ozone depletion.
context_section_description: It is a potent anesthetic with a MAC of 0.74%. Its blood/gas partition coefficient of 2.4 makes it an agent with moderate induction and recovery time. It is not a good analgesic and its muscle relaxation effect is moderate.
caption: Packaging of Fluothane brand of halothane
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