Nitrous oxide – known colloquially as “laughing gas” – has many uses, from a painkiller during dental procedures to a whipping agent for canned whipped cream.

While its euphoric side effects have long been known, the rise of vaping has helped create a perfect delivery vehicle for the gas - and a perfect recipe for an addiction, experts warn.

  • albert180@piefed.social
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    13 days ago

    Is Nitrous oxide still used for medical purposes?

    I thought it was phased out in most civilised places

      • albert180@piefed.social
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        13 days ago

        Uhm, no. It’s not used anymore at all in Hospitals here in Germany for Anesthesia. At least the bigger ones. In Switzerland I’ve also never seen it

        It also doesn’t work that good, there are better and safer alternatives. Most use TIVA anyway, so no gases necessary. And if it’s absolutely necessary they use Sevoflurane.
        Also Regional Anesthetics and Epidural/Spinal Blocks

        • Ushmel@lemmy.world
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          11 days ago

          Not every outpatient clinic and office has access to an anesthesiologist, with nitrous you don’t need one because it’s safe compared to sevofluorane, etc.

    • jwmgregory@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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      13 days ago

      this is largely a problem in a country that also still shoves pieces of metal way up into people’s vaginas with no anesthesia.

      you’re lucky if the dentist has nitrous at all here a lot of the time lmao. there’s even some grades within the country itself. most of america is literally a 3rd world shithole but you can’t say it publicly bc of the 10% of the population that lives in comfort and will get offended that you would dare talk about [insert any experience here that they themselves are entirely isolated from due to class]. it hurts their sensibilities or something… either way just know that when people say america is a shithole that is an understatement for the vast majority of american’s lives.

      • i_dont_want_to@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        13 days ago

        They get offended because it is contrary to the story they tell themselves that the poor are just a bunch of whiners and bring their situation on themselves.