Desflurane 100% inhalation vapour liquid
Requires a prescription from a doctor or prescriber
Desflurane, or I-653, a a volatile anesthetic that is more rapidly cleared and less metabolized than previous inhaled anesthetics such as [methoxyflurane], [sevoflurane], [enflurane], or [isoflurane].[A226390,A39015,A226893].
Official documents, adverse reaction reporting, and safety monitoring
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Official medicine documents
Safety monitoring data
Yellow Card reports
The MHRA Yellow Card scheme collects reports of suspected side effects from healthcare professionals and patients. View the Drug Analysis Profile (iDAP) for real-world adverse reaction data.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Desflurane
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Submit a Yellow Card report to the MHRA
Data from the MHRA Yellow Card scheme. A reported reaction does not necessarily mean the medicine caused it. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
EudraVigilance
The European Medicines Agency (EMA) collects suspected adverse reaction reports from across the EU/EEA through the EudraVigilance system. Search for safety data on this medicine.
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Suspected adverse reactions reported for Desflurane
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3 branded products available
MHRA licensed products
View all licensed products for Desflurane on the MHRA register
Desflurane 100% inhalation vapour liquid
Desflurane 100% inhalation vapour liquid
Therapeutically similar medicines
Similarity is based on WHO Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical (ATC) classification and on a factual NHS dm+d therapeutic-grouping code prefix. Source data: NHS dm+d via TRUD (OGL v3.0), WHO ATC/DDD Index.
NHS prescribing volume and spending trends
Guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence
NICE clinical guidance(3)
Desflurane for maintenance of anaesthesia (ES41)
End-tidal Control software for use with Aisys closed circuit anaesthesia systems for automated gas control during general anaesthesia (MIB10)
Depth of anaesthesia monitors – Bispectral Index (BIS), E-Entropy and Narcotrend-Compact M (HTG292)
Source: National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE). Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Check stock at pharmacies and supply information
Pharmacy stock checkers
Search for this medicine at major UK pharmacy chains. These links open the retailer's own website — results depend on their current online catalogue.
Supply & safety information
Official UK regulator monitoring and safety alerts
Pharmacy links redirect to the retailer's own search and do not represent real-time stock levels. Shortage and safety information sourced from MHRA drug safety updates (gov.uk, Crown Copyright under OGL v3.0).
Codes for healthcare professionals and prescribing systems
These codes are used by healthcare IT systems and prescribers to identify this medicine.
NHS UK identifiers
Browse tools
SNOMED CT and dm+d codes from NHS TRUD (Technology Reference data Update Distribution), licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. BNF code shown is the factual mapping value distributed by NHS Business Services Authority (NHSBSA) in the dm+d supplementary file under OGL v3.0; it is not affiliated with, nor licensed from, the publishers of the British National Formulary. ATC codes from the WHO Collaborating Centre for Drug Statistics Methodology (whocc.no).
Active and completed clinical studies from ClinicalTrials.gov
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Data accessed via ClinicalTrials.gov API v2. Trial information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Academic studies and reviews for this medicine's active substance
Showing the 50 most relevant studies.
Reviews & meta-analyses: 16 · Randomised trials: 18 · 1991–2026
Showing the 50 most relevant studies, sorted by most relevant.
Anil Gupta, Tracey L. Stierer, Rhonda L. Zuckerman, et al.
Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2004
- Ambulatory Surgical Procedures
- Anesthesia Recovery Period
- Anesthesia, Inhalation
S. Dahmani, I. Stany, C. Brasher, et al.
British journal of anaesthesia, 2010
- Sevoflurane
- Desflurane
- Analgesia
Giovanni Landoni, Giuseppe Biondi‐Zoccai, Alberto Zangrillo, et al.
Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Anesthesia, 2007
- Sevoflurane
- Desflurane
- Anesthesia, Inhalation
Gautam Kumar, C. Stendall, RD Mistry, et al.
Anaesthesia, 2014
- Ambulatory Surgical Procedures
- Sevoflurane
- Desflurane
Franklin Dexter, Emine O. Bayman, Richard H. Epstein
Anesthesia & Analgesia, 2010
- Intubation, Intratracheal
- Methyl Ethers
- Anesthetics, Inhalation
Hammer S, Eichlseder M, Klivinyi C, et al.
2025
- Carbon Dioxide
- Anesthesia
- Anesthesia Department, Hospital
BackgroundAnaesthesia contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and can play a crucial role in reducing the carbon footprint of the global healthcare sector. The aim of this systematic review is to identify which departmental interventions influence estimated carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent emissions of anaesthesia and to quantify their reductions.MethodsA systematic literature search was conducted through four major electronic databases (Cochrane Library, Embase, MEDLINE, and PubMed) for studies investigating the changes in CO2 equivalent emissions per anaesthetic before and after departmental green anaesthesia interventions. Data were extracted by two independent reviewers. The primary outcomes were mean decrease of CO2 equivalents in kilograms per anaesthetic and total decrease in CO2 equivalents in tonnes. The mean effect was calculated as percentage change per patient and in total.ResultsOf 3987 screened studies, 13 met the criteria for quantitative synthesis and showed low to moderate risk of bias. The following types of departmental sustainability interventions were found: education of staff, decreased use of desflurane and sevoflurane, promotion of TIVA, use of low fresh gas flows, proper waste management, and formation of green teams. The postinterventional total mean decrease of CO2 equivalents in kilograms per anaesthetic was 68.2% (18.6%) and in total tonnes was 75.2% (16.3%).ConclusionsOur analysis demonstrates the substantial CO2 reduction potential inherent in sustainable anaesthesia programmes. Currently available literature supports staff education on avoidance of desflurane, reduction of volatile anaesthesia, lower fresh gas flow, increased utilisation of TIVA, and implementation of proper waste management protocols in operating rooms as potentially effective interventions.
Abstract licence: CC BY
Georgios Gkantinas, Eleni Ι Tataki, P. Lykoudis, et al.
Journal of Neurosurgical Anesthesiology, 2023
Alex Macario, Franklin Dexter, David A. Lubarsky
American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy, 2005
- Anesthesia Recovery Period
- Sevoflurane
- Desflurane
Hu W, Zhuang J, Liu X, et al.
2026
- Propofol
- Anesthetics, Inhalation
- Anesthetics, Intravenous
W.-K. Lee, Min‐Soo Kim, Sang‐Wook Kang, et al.
British Journal of Anaesthesia, 2014
- Anesthesia, Inhalation
- Anesthesia, Intravenous
- Remifentanil
Sources: aggregated from Europe PMC (EMBL-EBI), OpenAlex, Crossref, PubMed and other open scholarly databases. Retracted articles are excluded. Study information is provided for research purposes and does not constitute medical advice.
Pharmacology and chemical data from DrugBank
Key facts
Drug status
Approved
Major interactions
10 found
Half-life
3.15 minutes
Mechanism
The mechanism of inhalational anesthetics is still not fully understood.
Food interactions
None known
Human targets
7 targets
Data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Pharmacokinetics at a glance
Absorption
[L30285]
Half-life
3.15 minutes
[A226525]
Protein binding
[A15480]
Volume of distribution
612 mL
[A226540]
Metabolism
[A226390]
Elimination
0.02%
[A226530]
A small amount of the metabolite trifluoroacetic acid is eliminated in the urine[A226385] and only 0.02%…
Clearance
90%
[A226380]…
Pharmacokinetic data: DrugBank · CC BY-NC 4.0
Desflurane was granted FDA approval on 18 September 1992.[L30285]
[L30285]
Known interactions with other medications. Always consult a healthcare professional.
Showing 50 of 1351 interactions
[L30285]
In the event of an overdose, patients may require symptomatic and supportive treatment to maintain airway, breathing, and circulation.
[L30285]
Discontinue desflurane.
[L30285]
An older school of thought is the unitary theory of general anesthetic action, suggesting that desflurane affects the lipid bilayer of cells.[A226490][A226510] Studies of other halogenated inhalational anesthetics have shown that the lipid bilayer spreads out more thinly as the anesthetic incorporates into the bilayer.[A226495] However, the anesthetic does not bind to lipid heads or acyl chains of hydrocarbons in the bilayer.[A226495] The effect of incorporating into the lipid bilayer is not well described.[A226495][L30285] By incorporating into the lipid bilayer, anesthetics may introduce disorder in the lipids, leading to some indirect effect on ion channels.[A226510] However, this theory remains controversial.[A226515]
How the body processes this drug — absorption, distribution, metabolism, and elimination
[L30285]
[A226525]
[A15480]
[A226540]
[A226390]
[A226530]
A small amount of the metabolite trifluoroacetic acid is eliminated in the urine[A226385] and only 0.02% of an inhaled dose is recovered as urinary metabolites.
[L30285]
[A226380]
The metabolite trifluoroacetic acid has a urinary clearance rate of 0.169 ± 0.107 µmol/L.
[A226390]
Proteins and enzymes this drug interacts with in the body
PMID:10449790 PMID:16412217
GABA-gated chloride channels, also named GABA(A) receptors (GABAAR), consist of five subunits arranged around a central pore and contain GABA active binding site(s) located at the alpha and beta subunit interfaces (By similarity). When activated by GABA, GABAARs selectively allow the flow of chloride anions across the cell membrane down their electrochemical gradient PMID:10449790 PMID:16412217
PMID:14551753 PMID:23994010 PMID:25730860 PMID:37821459
Plays an important role in the down-regulation of neuronal excitability .
PMID:8298642 PMID:9009272
Contributes to the generation of inhibitory postsynaptic currents .
PMID:25445488
Channel activity is potentiated by ethanol .
PMID:25973519
Potentiation of channel activity by intoxicating levels of ethanol contribute to the sedative effects of ethanol (By similarity)
PMID:1311100 PMID:20805473 PMID:21172611 PMID:28628100 PMID:35675825
L-glutamate acts as an excitatory neurotransmitter at many synapses in the central nervous system. Binding of the excitatory neurotransmitter L-glutamate induces a conformation change, leading to the opening of the cation channel, and thereby converts the chemical signal to an electrical impulse upon entry of monovalent and divalent cations such as sodium and calcium. The receptor then desensitizes rapidly and enters in a transient inactive state, characterized by the presence of bound agonist (By similarity).
In the presence of CACNG2 or CACNG4 or CACNG7 or CACNG8, shows resensitization which is characterized by a delayed accumulation of current flux upon continued application of L-glutamate .
PMID:21172611
Resensitization is blocked by CNIH2 through interaction with CACNG8 in the CACNG8-containing AMPA receptors complex .
PMID:21172611
Calcium (Ca(2+)) permeability depends on subunits composition and, heteromeric channels containing edited GRIA2 subunit are calcium-impermeable. Also permeable to other divalents cations such as strontium(2+) and magnesium(2+) and monovalent cations such as potassium(1+) and lithium(1+) (By similarity)
PMID:19903818 PMID:8845167
Contributes to the regulation of the membrane potential and nerve signaling, and prevents neuronal hyperexcitability .
PMID:17156368
Forms tetrameric potassium-selective channels through which potassium ions pass in accordance with their electrochemical gradient. The channel alternates between opened and closed conformations in response to the voltage difference across the membrane .
PMID:19912772
Can form functional homotetrameric channels and heterotetrameric channels that contain variable proportions of KCNA1, KCNA2, KCNA4, KCNA5, KCNA6, KCNA7, and possibly other family members as well; channel properties depend on the type of alpha subunits that are part of the channel .
PMID:12077175 PMID:17156368
Channel properties are modulated by cytoplasmic beta subunits that regulate the subcellular location of the alpha subunits and promote rapid inactivation of delayed rectifier potassium channels .
PMID:12077175 PMID:17156368
In vivo, membranes probably contain a mixture of heteromeric potassium channel complexes, making it difficult to assign currents observed in intact tissues to any particular potassium channel family member. Homotetrameric KCNA1 forms a delayed-rectifier potassium channel that opens in response to membrane depolarization, followed by slow spontaneous channel closure .
PMID:19307729 PMID:19903818 PMID:19912772 PMID:19968958
In contrast, a heterotetrameric channel formed by KCNA1 and KCNA4 shows rapid inactivation .
PMID:17156368
Regulates neuronal excitability in hippocampus, especially in mossy fibers and medial perforant path axons, preventing neuronal hyperexcitability.
Response to toxins that are selective for KCNA1, respectively for KCNA2, suggests that heteromeric potassium channels composed of both KCNA1 and KCNA2 play a role in pacemaking and regulate the output of deep cerebellar nuclear neurons (By similarity). May function as down-stream effector for G protein-coupled receptors and inhibit GABAergic inputs to basolateral amygdala neurons (By similarity). May contribute to the regulation of neurotransmitter release, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) release (By similarity).
Plays a role in regulating the generation of action potentials and preventing hyperexcitability in myelinated axons of the vagus nerve, and thereby contributes to the regulation of heart contraction (By similarity). Required for normal neuromuscular responses .
PMID:11026449 PMID:17136396
Regulates the frequency of neuronal action potential firing in response to mechanical stimuli, and plays a role in the perception of pain caused by mechanical stimuli, but does not play a role in the perception of pain due to heat stimuli (By similarity). Required for normal responses to auditory stimuli and precise location of sound sources, but not for sound perception (By similarity).
The use of toxins that block specific channels suggest that it contributes to the regulation of the axonal release of the neurotransmitter dopamine (By similarity). Required for normal postnatal brain development and normal proliferation of neuronal precursor cells in the brain (By similarity). Plays a role in the reabsorption of Mg(2+) in the distal convoluted tubules in the kidney and in magnesium ion homeostasis, probably via its effect on the membrane potential PMID:19307729 PMID:23903368
PMID:1959619
Essential for the catalytic activity and assembly of complex I PMID:1959619 PMID:26929434
Enzymes involved in drug metabolism — important for understanding drug interactions
Proteins that carry this drug through the body
PMID:19021548
Major calcium and magnesium transporter in plasma, binds approximately 45% of circulating calcium and magnesium in plasma (By similarity).
Potentially has more than two calcium-binding sites and might additionally bind calcium in a non-specific manner (By similarity). The shared binding site between zinc and calcium at residue Asp-273 suggests a crosstalk between zinc and calcium transport in the blood (By similarity). The rank order of affinity is zinc > calcium > magnesium (By similarity).
Binds to the bacterial siderophore enterobactin and inhibits enterobactin-mediated iron uptake of E.coli from ferric transferrin, and may thereby limit the utilization of iron and growth of enteric bacteria such as E.coli .
PMID:6234017
Does not prevent iron uptake by the bacterial siderophore aerobactin PMID:6234017
ATC N01AB07
Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
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Chemical identifiers
CAS, UNII, InChI Key and database cross-references
Linked compound data from DrugBank Open Data (CC BY-NC 4.0)
Desflurane
Additional database identifiers
Drugs Product Database (DPD)
8
ChemSpider
38403
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4075
GenAtlas
GABRA1
GeneCards
GABRA1
GenBank Gene Database
X13584
GenBank Protein Database
31631
Guide to Pharmacology
404
UniProt Accession
GBRA1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4076
GenAtlas
GABRA2
GeneCards
GABRA2
GenBank Gene Database
S62907
GenBank Protein Database
386422
Guide to Pharmacology
405
UniProt Accession
GBRA2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4077
GenAtlas
GABRA3
GeneCards
GABRA3
GenBank Gene Database
S62908
GenBank Protein Database
386424
Guide to Pharmacology
406
UniProt Accession
GBRA3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4078
GenAtlas
GABRA4
GeneCards
GABRA4
GenBank Gene Database
U30461
GenBank Protein Database
905393
Guide to Pharmacology
407
UniProt Accession
GBRA4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4079
GenAtlas
GABRA5
GeneCards
GABRA5
GenBank Gene Database
L08485
GenBank Protein Database
182916
Guide to Pharmacology
408
UniProt Accession
GBRA5_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4080
GenAtlas
GABRA6
GeneCards
GABRA6
GenBank Gene Database
S81944
GenBank Protein Database
1470364
Guide to Pharmacology
409
UniProt Accession
GBRA6_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4081
GenAtlas
GABRB1
GeneCards
GABRB1
GenBank Gene Database
X14767
GenBank Protein Database
31635
UniProt Accession
GBRB1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4082
GenAtlas
GABRB2
GeneCards
GABRB2
GenBank Gene Database
S67368
GenBank Protein Database
455946
UniProt Accession
GBRB2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4083
GenAtlas
GABRB3
GeneCards
GABRB3
GenBank Gene Database
M82919
GenBank Protein Database
182925
Guide to Pharmacology
412
UniProt Accession
GBRB3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4084
GeneCards
GABRD
GenBank Gene Database
AF016917
GenBank Protein Database
2388693
UniProt Accession
GBRD_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4085
GeneCards
GABRE
GenBank Gene Database
U66661
GenBank Protein Database
1857126
UniProt Accession
GBRE_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4086
GeneCards
GABRG1
GenBank Gene Database
AK122845
GenBank Protein Database
193783776
UniProt Accession
GBRG1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4087
GeneCards
GABRG2
GenBank Gene Database
X15376
GenBank Protein Database
31637
UniProt Accession
GBRG2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4088
GeneCards
GABRG3
GenBank Gene Database
S82769
GenBank Protein Database
1754749
UniProt Accession
GBRG3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4089
GeneCards
GABRP
GenBank Gene Database
U95367
GenBank Protein Database
2197001
UniProt Accession
GBRP_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:14454
GeneCards
GABRQ
GenBank Gene Database
AF189259
GenBank Protein Database
7861736
UniProt Accession
GBRT_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4326
GenAtlas
GLRA1
GeneCards
GLRA1
GenBank Gene Database
X52009
GenBank Protein Database
31851
Guide to Pharmacology
423
UniProt Accession
GLRA1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:4571
GenAtlas
GRIA1
GeneCards
GRIA1
GenBank Gene Database
M64752
GenBank Protein Database
183281
Guide to Pharmacology
444
UniProt Accession
GRIA1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:6218
GenAtlas
KCNA1
GeneCards
KCNA1
GenBank Gene Database
L02750
GenBank Protein Database
186663
Guide to Pharmacology
538
UniProt Accession
KCNA1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:7455
GenAtlas
MT-ND1
GeneCards
MT-ND1
GenBank Gene Database
V00662
GenBank Protein Database
13004
UniProt Accession
NU1M_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:13211
GenAtlas
ATP2C1
GeneCards
ATP2C1
GenBank Gene Database
AF181120
GenBank Protein Database
6715131
UniProt Accession
AT2C1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:29103
GeneCards
ATP2C2
UniProt Accession
AT2C2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:814
GeneCards
ATP2B1
UniProt Accession
AT2B1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:815
GeneCards
ATP2B2
UniProt Accession
AT2B2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:816
GeneCards
ATP2B3
UniProt Accession
AT2B3_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:817
GeneCards
ATP2B4
UniProt Accession
AT2B4_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:811
GeneCards
ATP2A1
GenBank Gene Database
AK291314
GenBank Protein Database
158256064
Guide to Pharmacology
840
UniProt Accession
AT2A1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:812
GeneCards
ATP2A2
GenBank Gene Database
M23114
GenBank Protein Database
306850
UniProt Accession
AT2A2_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:837
GenAtlas
ATP5D
GeneCards
ATP5F1D
GenBank Gene Database
X63422
GenBank Protein Database
12586
UniProt Accession
ATPD_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:2631
GeneCards
CYP2E1
GenBank Gene Database
J02625
GenBank Protein Database
181360
Guide to Pharmacology
1330
UniProt Accession
CP2E1_HUMAN
HUGO Gene Nomenclature Committee (HGNC)
HGNC:399
GenAtlas
ALB
GeneCards
ALB
GenBank Gene Database
V00494
GenBank Protein Database
28590
UniProt Accession
ALBU_HUMAN
DrugBank citations
If you use DrugBank data in your research, please cite the following publications:
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Structured knowledge from the free knowledge base
ATC classifications (Wikidata)
Linked open data from Wikidata (Q419383), a free and open knowledge base operated by the Wikimedia Foundation. Data is available under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication.