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World J Crit Care Med. Mar 9, 2024; 13(1): 90746
Published online Mar 9, 2024. doi: 10.5492/wjccm.v13.i1.90746
Inhaled volatile anesthetics in the intensive care unit
Erin D Wieruszewski, Mariam ElSaban, Patrick M Wieruszewski, Nathan J Smischney
Erin D Wieruszewski, Patrick M Wieruszewski, Department of Pharmacy, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, United States
Mariam ElSaban, Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, United States
Nathan J Smischney, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, United States
Author contributions: Wieruszewski ED, ElSaban M, Wieruszewski PM, Smischney NJ performed the literature search, created the figures, drafted the paper, and reviewed and edited the manuscript and approved the final version.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All authors declare no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nathan J Smischney, MD, MS, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology & Perioperative Medicine, Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905, United States. smischney.nathan@mayo.edu
Received: December 13, 2023
Peer-review started: December 13, 2023
First decision: January 15, 2024
Revised: January 19, 2024
Accepted: February 20, 2024
Article in press: February 20, 2024
Published online: March 9, 2024
Processing time: 83 Days and 3.5 Hours
Core Tip

Core Tip: This paper sets to explore the transformative impact of volatile anesthetics on surgical practices and their expanding role into intensive care settings. In this paradigm shift, volatile anesthetics prove a promising therapy modality with diverse applications in the critically ill patient population. From addressing intricate sedation needs to managing refractory seizure conditions, volatile anesthetics are a useful addition to intensivists’ toolkits.