Od anestezie k intoxikaci – oxid dusný, jeho zneužívání a škodlivé účinky
From anaesthesia to intoxication – nitrous oxide, it´s substance abuse and adverse effects

Summary/Abstract: Nitrous oxide (N₂O) is a gas with a long history of medical use in anaesthesiology and analgesia, which in recent years has increasingly appeared in the context of recreational use. Its easy availability, low cost, rapid onset of effects, and widespread perception of relative safety contribute to its growing use, particularly among young people. The psychoactive effects of nitrous oxide are mediated primarily through inhibition of NMDA glutamate receptors and modulation of the GABAergic system, while its analgesic effects are associated with the release of endogenous opioids. A serious and often underestimated risk of recreational nitrous oxide use is its ability to inactivate vitamin B₁₂, which can result in functional deficiency accompanied by neurological and psychiatric manifestations. Repeated case reports indicate that toxic effects may develop both after long-term intensive use and after relatively short periods of high-dose exposure.

• Details
• Contents