Hepatitis Caused by Halothane Sniffing
Authors: Henry G. Kaplan, Johan Bakken, Leonard Quadracci, William Schubach
Journal: Annals of Internal Medicine (1979)

Brief Reports1 May 1979Hepatitis Caused by Halothane SniffingHENRY G. KAPLAN, M.D., JOHAN BAKKEN, M.D., LEONARD QUADRACCI, M.D., WILLIAM SCHUBACH, M.D.HENRY G. KAPLAN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, JOHAN BAKKEN, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, LEONARD QUADRACCI, M.D.Search for more papers by this author, WILLIAM SCHUBACH, M.D.Search for more papers by this authorAuthor, Article, and Disclosure Informationhttps://doi.org/10.7326/0003-4819-90-5-797 SectionsAboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissions ShareFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail ExcerptHalothane has been identified as the cause of hypersensitivity-mediated hepatitis (1). Repeated use of this agent has frequently caused hepatotoxicity in humans (2, 3) and laboratory animals (4-7). We recently cared for three patients who developed hepatitis after repeated sniffing of halothane to produce a drug "high."Patient 1, a thin, 25-year-old Mexican female scrub technician at a local hospital, complained of sore throat, headaches, malaise, nausea, vomiting, and fever of 40 °C. Three days later she was admitted to the hospital where her temperature was 34.5 °C, blood pressure 128/70 mm Hg, and pulse 100 beats/min and irregular. Jaundice...References1. KLATSKINKIMBERG GD: Recurrent hepatitis attributable to halothane sensitization in an anesthetist. N Engl J Med 280:515-522, 1969 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar2. WRIGHTEADECHISHOLMHAWKSLEYLLOYDMOLESEDWARDSGARDNER ROMMBTJM: Controlled prospective study of the effect on liver function of multiple exposures to halothane. Lancet 1:817-820, 1975 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar3. TROWELLPETOSMITH JRA: Controlled trial of repeated halothane anaesthetics in patients with carcinoma of the uterine cervix treated with radium. Lancet 1:821-823, 1975 MedlineGoogle Scholar4. HUGHESLANG HC: Hepatic necrosis produced by repeated administration of halothane to guinea pigs. Anesthesiology 36:466-471, 1972 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar5. STEVENSEGERWHITEHALSEYMUNGERGIBBONSDOLANSHARGEL WEAMWRWR: Comparative toxicities of halothane, isoflurane, and diethyl ether at subanesthetic concentrations in laboratory animals. Anesthesiology 42:408-419, 1975 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar6. CHANGDUDLEYLEEKATZ LAYJ: Ultrastructural studies of the hepatocytes after chronic exposure to low levels of halothane. Exp Mol Pathol 23:35-42, 1975 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar7. CHANGKATZ LJ: Pathologic effects of chronic halothane inhalation: an overiew. Anesthesiology 45:640-653, 1976 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar8. SPENCERRAASCHTREFNY JFF: Halothane abuse in hospital personnel. JAMA 235:1034-1035, 1976 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar9. BUNKERBLUMENFIELD JC: Liver necrosis after halothane anesthesia. Cause or coincidence? N Engl J Med 268:531-534, 1963 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar This content is PDF only. To continue reading please click on the PDF icon. Author, Article, and Disclosure InformationAffiliations: Department of Medicine University of Washington Seattle, Washington PreviousarticleNextarticle Advertisement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Metrics Cited byAcute kidney injury in an adolescent: AnswersThe Abuse of Agents Used to Induce or Maintain General Anesthesia: Intravenous Hypnotics and the Halogenated HydrocarbonsAn Unusual Case of Anesthetic Abuse by a Full-Face Gas MaskHalothaneGlue Sniffing: A ReviewInhalant AbuseSubstances volatilesInhalantsInhalant abuse by adolescents11The full text of this article is available via JAH Online at http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jahonline.L'intoxication aux substances inhaléesDrug AbuseVolatile substance abuse ∗Fatal Accidental Enflurane Intoxicationl-Carnitine effect on halothane-treated mitochondriaHepatitis due to repeated inhalation of methoxyflurane in subanaesthetic concentrationsHalothane anaesthesia and liver damage.Illicit use of modern volatile anaestheticsDrugs and Liver Disease: A Tabular Compilation of Drugs and the Histopathological Changes That Can Occur in the LiverFatal Halothane Poisoning During Anesthesia with Other AgentsA Halothane-Related Effect on Rat Brain Myelination: A Comparison of Chronic Prenatal or Postnatal Exposure 1 May 1979Volume 90, Issue 5Page: 797-798KeywordsFeversHeart rateHepatitisHepatitis ANauseaPharyngitisResearch laboratoriesTechniciansTemperatureVomiting ePublished: 1 December 2008 Issue Published: 1 May 1979 PDF downloadLoading ...