Methoxyflurane: beyond traditional emergency settings
Overview
- Methoxyflurane provides rapid-onset, short-term analgesia for:
- initial management of acute trauma pain
- brief painful procedures, such as wound dressing.
- The disposable, single-use inhaler device allows patients (including children aged >5 years) to self-administer the drug, under supervision.
- Do not use in patients with renal impairment.
- Avoid use in children aged <5 years and those unable to self-administer.
- Only use methoxyflurane in conscious, haemodynamically stable patients.
- Exceeding maximum doses or use on consecutive days could cause renal toxicity.
Methoxyflurane, is a non-opioid, anaesthetic agent, that is self-administered by inhalation using the portable Penthrox® inhaler device.1 At low concentrations, methoxyflurane is used to provide rapid analgesia in stable, conscious patients.1,2 Indicated for the emergency relief of pain in patients with trauma and associated pain, and for the relief of pain for surgical procedures,1 methoxyflurane has become an increasingly important tool within the realm of general practice.
Its use in general practice, while historically less common compared to hospital settings, has gained traction due to its practical advantages.1,3 The device used for administration is compact and user-friendly, allowing efficient pain relief delivery in both emergency situations and routine procedures. In general practice, the application of methoxyflurane is particularly beneficial for surgical procedures, such as bone marrow biopsy1,4, colonoscopsy5,6, surgical/radiological procedures7,8, burn wound care9-12 and prostate biopsy.13-16
