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Document Type
Journal ArticlePublication Date
2017-07-01Keywords
Adverse effectsHalothane
Hepatitis
Myocardial sensitization
Side effects
Anesthesia and Analgesia
Anesthesiology
Health Services Administration
History of Science, Technology, and Medicine
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Show full item recordAbstract
BACKGROUND: The use of equipment powered by electricity in the operating room increased the risk of fires in the presence of flammable agents such as ether and cyclopropane. Chloroform was associated with cardiac arrhythmias and liver damage. The introduction of halothane in the late 1950s was heralded as a solution to many problems facing the specialty of anesthesia. We explore whether the manufacturer promptly reported halothane's adverse effects to regulatory agencies and practitioners. SOURCES: We consulted documents submitted by Ayerst Laboratories to federal authorities through the Freedom of Information Act, promotional advertisements, package inserts, published articles, and textbooks. RESULTS: Two major complications associated with the use of halothane, cardiac arrhythmias and the risk of hepatotoxicity, were disclosed by the manufacturer when the drug was first introduced to the US market. Reports appeared timely and complete; there was no apparent attempt to conceal or otherwise downplay these risks. CONCLUSION: The process of drug discovery and approval for clinical use has always been a lengthy, complex, and extremely expensive undertaking, with only a small minority of compounds receiving approval. The risk of adverse effects or drug interaction directly impacts commercial viability. In the case of halothane, the manufacturer disclosed major adverse effects, and the drug enjoyed decades of popularity until it was replaced by agents with a better drug profile.Source
J Anesth Hist. 2017 Jul;3(3):87-102. doi: 10.1016/j.janh.2017.05.003. Epub 2017 Jun 3. Link to article on publisher's site
DOI
10.1016/j.janh.2017.05.003Permanent Link to this Item
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14038/25768PubMed ID
28842156Related Resources
ae974a485f413a2113503eed53cd6c53
10.1016/j.janh.2017.05.003