Volatile anesthetic physical-property chart covering classic board-review vapor-pressure anchors, boiling points, metabolism, and high-yield clinical pearls.
Review the core table first, then launch practice to convert recognition into faster recall.
These are board-style anchor values, not a substitute for package-insert engineering data. Nitrous oxide is included because it is clinically testable, but unlike the liquid volatile anesthetics it is stored as a liquefied compressed gas; the usual memorized cylinder anchor is ~745 psi at room temperature, not a vaporizer-liquid value.
| Agent | Saturated vapor pressure at 20 °C | Boiling point (°C) | Metabolism (%) | Clinical pearl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sevoflurane | 157 mmHg | 58.5 | 3.0 | Nonpungent and widely used for inhalational induction; dry absorbent can increase Compound A production. |
| Desflurane | 669 mmHg | 22.8 | 0.02 | Pungent airway irritant with very rapid wake-up; requires a heated, pressurized vaporizer. |
| Isoflurane | 240 mmHg | 48.5 | 0.2 | Pungent but inexpensive maintenance agent; vasodilates and can provoke tachycardia during rapid increases. |
| Nitrous oxide | ≈38,500 mmHg (~745 psi in a full cylinder) | -88.5 | 0.0 | Stored as a liquefied compressed gas; expands closed gas spaces and can cause diffusion hypoxia during emergence if not washed out. |
| Halothane | 243 mmHg | 50.2 | 20.0 | Sensitizes the myocardium to catecholamines and is linked to halothane hepatitis. |
| Enflurane | 175 mmHg | 56.5 | 2.4 | Can produce epileptiform EEG activity and frank seizure-like activity at high concentration or with hypocapnia. |
This tool is for educational purposes only. Always verify clinical values against current authoritative sources before patient care.