Nitrous oxide for monitoring fluid absorption in volunteers.
Background: We studied whether nitrous oxide (N(2)O) added to a fluid allows the infused volume to be quantified by measuring N(2)O in the expired air during normal breathing. If so, N(2)O might serve as a tracer of fluid absorption during endoscopic surgery.Methods: Twelve male volunteers received continuous and intermittent i.v. infusions (5-45 min) of fluid containing 40 ml litre(-1) of N(2)O.
