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Sedation
Penthrox Sedation
The Penthrox inhaler is a hand held device often
referred to as the “Green Whistle”. It is used
to both relieve anxiety and reduce pain.
Penthrox has been used for over 20 years on over
2 million patients in Australia where it is used
by the Ambulance Service, Defense forces and in
Emergency departments. It is suitable for
procedures up to one hour in duration.
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The
active ingredient, methoxyflurane, has
been found to have no known drug
interactions at the dosage levels used
in the Penthrox. It is also suitable for
almost all patients the exceptions
being:
-
Patients who either have had, or
have a family history of malignant
Hyperthermia
-
Patients with severe renal (kidney)
impairment
-
During the first Trimester of
pregnancy.
Side
effects are uncommon but have included
nausea, vomiting, and headache. |
The inhaler itself is a green plastic device,
15cm in length with a mouthpiece at one end and
a wick running through the centre. Liquid
Methoxyflurane is poured onto the wick. There is
a very strong, “fruity” smell. Initially two
very shallow breaths should be taken to allow
the patient to become accustomed to the smell.
The Penthrox then has a very rapid onset of
action- only 6-8 further breaths are required.
The patients can then control their own level of
relief by inhaling intermittently during
treatment. The device has a dilutor hole so that
patients can vary the strength of the dose
received according to how they feel.
In Adults Penthrox has been found to make
dentistry a more pleasant experience in 86% of
cases. Although Penthrox is safe to use on
children, and has been used on children as young
as one in Australia, in dentistry Penthrox has
been found to be effective in helping children
under 10 cope with dental procedures in only 27%
of cases.
Penthrox can be used to help patients to cope
with, and in some cases avoid having to have
local anesthetic for many procedures including
- Pain relief
following dental injury
- Prior to
injection
- Removal of
temporary crowns
- Scaling/root
planning
- Taking
impressions or x-rays in people who have
difficulty with gagging
- Removing
stitches
- Treating dry
sockets
Following
administration of Penthrox you will need someone
to collect you and escort you home. You must not
drive a vehicle, ride a bicycle, operate
hazardous machinery, or conduct responsible
business matters for 24 hours. |
