2023-08-21 12:24:51
They call it ‘laughing gas’ but the effects of the chronic use of nitrous oxide, a new form of ‘high’ popular especially among young people, from Australia to Europe, are no laughing matter. On the contrary, doctors who are observing “serious and sometimes permanent neurological defects” are of great concern. The recreational use of this substance, a mild anesthetic that “remains in use today mainly for pediatric and dental procedures”, is becoming a growing problem in some countries, such as the United Kingdom, explain the authors of a scientific review aimed at help white coats recognize the signs of nitrous oxide toxicity.
Published in ‘Cmaj’, the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the document is signed by two researchers from the University of Toronto and specialists from a Canadian children’s hospital, and warns against some specific effects associated with prolonged use. Nitrous oxide is worrying because it is low cost and easily available online, explain the authors of the review, and is increasingly chosen by young people for a quick high. The actual and current prevalence of recreational use of this substance is not known. But in the 2021 Global Drug Survey, 10% of all respondents and 15% of Canadian respondents had already indicated that they had used the drug in the previous year.
“Nitrous oxide’s low cost and ease of access make it a popular recreational drug, especially among young people,” writes Cyrille De Halleux, an internal medicine and critical care specialist at the Hospital for Sick Children. ) and principal investigator in the Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of Toronto, Ontario. In detail, explains the expert along with co-author David N. Juurlink, the chronic use of nitrous oxide can cause a functional deficiency of vitamin B 12, which can lead to long-term health effects, particularly neurological consequences.
The three most common presentations of toxicity are spinal cord damage (myelopathy), nerve damage affecting strength and sensation (neuropathy), and behavioral abnormalities (encephalopathy). Treatment includes three steps: cessation of substance use, supplementation of vitamin B 12 and methionine. The two researchers sound the alarm and urge colleagues to become suspicious in the presence of people with problems that may be ‘spies’ of an abuse of laughing gas. “Physicians should inquire about the use of nitrous oxide by patients who have unexplained findings suggestive of vitamin B12 deficiency or other consistent neurological symptoms,” the experts urged colleagues.
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