Desflurane
Desflurane is an inhaled general anesthetic gas used to put adults under for surgery and to keep adults and intubated children under anesthesia during surgery.
🧬 Where this information comes from Click to expand
The clinical label records used on this page are FDA-filed Structured Product Labeling (SPL) retrieved through openFDA. We identified 6 clinical label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, strengths, and NDC product-record counts are built separately from matching FDA National Drug Code Directory records. The linked DailyMed document is a representative official source for verification, not the page’s only clinical source. View the linked label on DailyMed →
Desflurane (Suprane) is an inhaled general anesthetic, a vapor your anesthesia team can deepen or lighten quickly, used to put adults under and to keep adults and children who have a breathing tube asleep during surgery; on the market since about 1992 and available as a generic, it is a widely used choice known for a fast wake-up. Most people tolerate it well, and nausea, vomiting or coughing as you wake up are what people notice most. Before surgery, tell your team about any personal or family history of malignant hyperthermia (a rare, life-threatening reaction with soaring temperature and rigid muscles), liver trouble after anesthesia, or a muscle disease.
Clinical pearls
- Mention asthma or a recent cold, since desflurane can irritate airways and trigger coughing or airway spasm, especially in children.
- Bring your full medicine list, since drugs that prolong the QT interval (a heart rhythm measure) add to its rhythm risk.
- In children with muscle diseases like Duchenne muscular dystrophy, it can push potassium dangerously high after surgery.
- For children under 3, weigh the timing of elective procedures, since long or repeated anesthesia affected brain development in animals.
Patient information guide A plain-language walkthrough of Desflurane, written from its FDA label.
What Desflurane is used for
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Desflurane is an inhaled general anesthetic with these supported uses:
- Starting (induction) and/or maintaining anesthesia in adults for inpatient and outpatient surgery (Suprane and Desflurane USP liquid for inhalation).
- Maintaining anesthesia in infants and children after induction with other agents and placement of a breathing tube (both products).
- Not for starting anesthesia in children, and not approved for maintenance in children without a breathing tube.
Desflurane dosage
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Desflurane is breathed in as a vapor during surgery. Only trained anesthesia professionals give it, using a special vaporizer made for it.
- The amount is adjusted to your response, age and other medicines.
- Opioids, benzodiazepines and nitrous oxide reduce how much is needed.
- Missed doses do not apply, since it is given only during a procedure.
Dosing details from the FDA-approved label
From the Desflurane prescribing information (“Dosage and Administration”). Doses are set by your prescriber for your product, condition, kidney function and age — never change a dose on your own.
- Induction in adults, some premedicated with opioid
- A frequent starting concentration was 3% SUPRANE, increased in 0.5-1.0% increments every 2 to 3 breaths
- End-tidal concentrations of 4-11%, with and without N2O, produced anesthesia within 2 to 4 minutes
- Inspired concentrations greater than 12% have been safely administered, particularly during induction; may require a reduction of nitrous oxide or air to maintain adequate oxygen
- Induction in adults after an intravenous drug such as thiopental or propofol
- SUPRANE can be started at approximately 0.5-1 MAC, whether the carrier gas is O2 or N2O/O2
- Maintenance of surgical anesthesia in adults
- Concentrations of 2.5-8.5% SUPRANE with or without the concomitant use of nitrous oxide
- Maintenance of surgical anesthesia in children
- Concentrations of 5.2-10% SUPRANE with or without the concomitant use of nitrous oxide
- Concentration required is age-dependent; indicated for maintenance after induction with agents other than SUPRANE and tracheal intubation
- Patients with intracranial space occupying lesions (neurosurgical use)
- SUPRANE should be administered at 0.8 MAC or less, and in conjunction with a barbiturate induction and hyperventilation
- Maximum: 0.8 MAC or less
- May produce a dose-dependent increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure
- Patients with coronary artery disease
- Should not be used as the sole agent for anesthetic induction
- Should be used with other medications, preferably intravenous opioids and hypnotics
- Rapid increase in concentration is associated with marked increase in pulse rate, mean arterial pressure and epinephrine and norepinephrine levels
Read the label’s full dosing text
2 DOSAGE AND ADMINISTRATION Only persons trained in the administration of general anesthesia should administer Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation. Only a vaporizer specifically designed and designated for use with desflurane should be utilized for its administration. Facilities for maintenance of a patent airway, artificial ventilation, oxygen enrichment, and circulatory resuscitation must be immediately available. Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation is administered by inhalation. The administration of general anesthesia must be individualized based on the patient’s response. Hypotension and respiratory depression increase as anesthesia with Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation is deepened. The minimum alveolar concentration (MAC) of Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation decreases with increasing patient age. The MAC for Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation is also reduced by concomitant N 2 O administration (See Table 1 ) . The dose should be adjusted accordingly. The following table provides mean relative potency based upon age and effect of N 2 O in predominately ASA physical status I or II patients. Benzodiazepines and opioids decrease the MAC of Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation [See Drug Interactions (7.1, Table 3) ] . Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation also decreases the doses of neuromuscular blocking agents required [See Drug Interactions (7.2, Table 4) ] . The dose should be adjusted accordingly. Table 1 Effect of Age on Minimum Alveolar Concentration of Desflurane Mean ± SD (percent atmospheres) Age N O 2 100% N N 2 O 60%/40% O 2 2 weeks 6 9.2 ± 0 - - 10 weeks 5 9.4 ± 0.4 - - 9 months 4 10 ± 0.7 5 7.5 ± 0.8 2 years 3 9.1 ± 0.6 - - 3 years - - 5 6.4 ± 0.4 4 years 4 8.6 ± 0.6 - - 7 years 5 8.1 ± 0.6 - - 25 years 4 7.3 ± 0 4 4 ± 0.3 45 years 4 6 ± 0.3 6 2.8 ± 0.6 70 years 6 5.2 ± 0.6 6 1.7 ± 0.4 N = number of crossover pairs (using up-and-down method of quantal response) Desflurane, USP, Liquid for Inhalation should be administered only by persons trained in the administration of general anesthesia. It should only be administered using a vaporizer specifically designed and designated for use with desflurane. ( 2 ) The administration of general anesthesia must be individualized based on the patient’s response, including cardiovascular and pulmonary changes.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Dosage and Administration section on DailyMed →
Desflurane side effects
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Most side effects are mild and short-lived. Common ones include:
Common side effects
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Coughing
- Breath holding
- Temporary pauses in breathing (apnea)
- Headache
- Increased saliva
- Slow or fast heart rate
When to get medical help
- Malignant hyperthermia: a dangerous reaction with high body temperature, muscle rigidity, fast heart rate and fast breathing. The care team treats it right away.
- Dangerously high potassium levels after surgery, which can cause heart rhythm problems. This is mainly a concern in children and people with muscle diseases.
- Laryngospasm (airway muscle spasm), coughing or airway narrowing, especially in children
- Heart rhythm problems, including QT prolongation
- Liver problems such as hepatitis or jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
- Carbon monoxide exposure if the machine's carbon dioxide absorbent is dried out
Serious reactions include malignant hyperthermia, high potassium, laryngospasm, heart rhythm problems and liver injury. Your care team monitors for these.
Desflurane warnings and precautions
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- Malignant hyperthermia: a rare, potentially fatal reaction in susceptible people, treated with dantrolene.
- High potassium after surgery: rare but can cause fatal heart rhythm problems, mainly in children with muscle disease.
- Breathing problems in children: higher risk of coughing and laryngospasm, especially under age 6 or with asthma or recent airway infection.
- QT prolongation: heart rhythm is monitored in susceptible people.
- Carbon monoxide: can form if the machine's carbon dioxide absorbent is dried out.
- Liver injury: can occur, especially after prior exposure to halogenated anesthetics.
- Young children: long exposure in animals harmed brain development; clinical significance is unclear.
- Waking up agitated: children may be briefly agitated as anesthesia wears off.
Desflurane interactions
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Several medicines used around surgery change how much desflurane is needed or how it behaves.
- Opioids and benzodiazepines: lower the desflurane needed.
- Nitrous oxide: lowers the desflurane needed.
- Muscle relaxants: lower doses are likely needed once anesthesia is steady.
- Succinylcholine: raises malignant hyperthermia risk with volatile anesthetics.
- QT-prolonging drugs: can add to heart rhythm risk.
Interactions listed in the FDA-approved label
From the Desflurane prescribing information (“Drug Interactions”): what the manufacturer studied or reported to the FDA.
- Benzodiazepines (midazolam): Benzodiazepines decrease the amount of desflurane (MAC) needed to produce anesthesia. Adjust dose accordingly.
- Opioids (fentanyl): Opioids decrease the amount of desflurane (MAC) needed to produce anesthesia. Adjust dose accordingly.
- Nitrous oxide (N2O): Concomitant N2O reduces the MAC of desflurane. Adjust dose accordingly.
- Neuromuscular blocking agents: Desflurane at equilibrium reduced the ED95 of succinylcholine by approximately 30% and that of atracurium and pancuronium by approximately 50% compared to N2O/opioid anesthesia. For endotracheal intubation, do not reduce the dose of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants or succinylcholine. During maintenance, the dose of nondepolarizing muscle relaxants is likely to be reduced; guide supplemental doses by response to nerve stimulation.
- Commonly used preanesthetic drugs and drugs used during anesthesia (muscle relaxants, intravenous agents, local anesthetic agents): No clinically significant adverse interactions were reported in clinical trials.
- Epinephrine (exogenously infused): Similar to isoflurane, desflurane does not predispose to premature ventricular arrhythmias in the presence of exogenously infused epinephrine in swine.
Read the label’s full interactions text
7 DRUG INTERACTIONS No clinically significant adverse interactions with commonly used preanesthetic drugs, or drugs used during anesthesia (muscle relaxants, intravenous agents, and local anesthetic agents) were reported in clinical trials. The effect of desflurane on the disposition of other drugs has not been determined. Similar to isoflurane, desflurane does not predispose to premature ventricular arrhythmias in the presence of exogenously infused epinephrine in swine. Concomitant use of N 2 O, benzodiazepines and/or opioids reduces the MAC of desflurane. Adjust dose accordingly. ( 7.1 , 7.3 ) Desflurane decreases the doses of neuromuscular blocking agents required. Adjust dose accordingly. ( 7.2 ) 7.1 Benzodiazepines and Opioids (MAC Reduction) Benzodiazepines and opioids decrease the amount of desflurane (MAC) needed to produce anesthesia. This effect is shown in Table 3 for intravenous midazolam (25 mcg/kg to 50 mcg/kg) and intravenous fentanyl (3 mcg/kg to 6 mcg/kg) in patients of two different age groups. Table 3 Desflurane MAC with Fentanyl or Midazolam Mean ± SD (percent reduction) Dose 18 to 30 years 31 to 65 years No fentanyl 6.4 ± 0 6.3 ± 0.4 3 mcg/kg fentanyl 3.5 ± 1.9 (46%) 3.1 ± 0.6 (51%) 6 mcg/kg fentanyl 3 ± 1.2 (53%) 2.3 ± 1 (64%) No midazolam 6.9 ± 0.1 5.9 ± 0.6 25 mcg/kg midazolam - 4.9 ± 0.9 (16%) 50 mcg/kg midazolam - 4.9 ± 0.5 (17%) 7.2 Neuromuscular Blocking Agents Anesthetic concentrations of desflurane at equilibrium (administered for 15 or more minutes before testing) reduced the ED 95 of succinylcholine by approximately 30% and that of atracurium and pancuronium by approximately 50% compared to N 2 O/opioid anesthesia (See Table 4 ) . The effect of desflurane on duration of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockade has not been studied.
Excerpted — the section continues on the label. Read the full Drug Interactions section on DailyMed →
Not a complete list. The label covers the interactions the manufacturer studied or reported, and our own interaction database does not cover every medicine either. Bring your full medication list, including vitamins and herbal products, to your pharmacist.
Before taking Desflurane
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- Known or suspected malignant hyperthermia susceptibility: must not receive it.
- Past sensitivity to desflurane or other halogenated anesthetics, or unexplained liver problems after them: must not receive it.
- Children: not used to start anesthesia.
- Muscle disease, long QT syndrome, coronary artery disease, or liver disease: tell your team.
- Pregnancy and labor: safety has not been established; it relaxes the uterus.
- Breastfeeding: it is not known whether it passes into milk.
- Older adults: need lower amounts.
- Kidney or liver impairment: dose adjustment is not expected to be needed.
Desflurane overdose
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Too much desflurane can mean anesthesia that is too deep, with slowed breathing and weakened heart function. The care team stops the drug, keeps the airway open, supports breathing with oxygen and maintains circulation.
What Desflurane does in the body
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Desflurane's effects change quickly as the inhaled concentration changes. In studies, people woke and could state their name a few minutes after it was stopped. Higher concentrations lower blood pressure, and above 1 MAC they may raise heart rate.
How your body processes Desflurane
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Desflurane is a volatile liquid that enters and leaves the body quickly through the lungs. It is barely broken down by the liver, with less than 0.02% recovered as urinary metabolites. Washout is faster than isoflurane or halothane.
How to store Desflurane
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Store at 20º to 25ºC (68º to 77ºF) .
Written from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
Supplements & herbs that interact with Desflurane
22 supplements and herbal products have documented interactions with Desflurane in the licensed clinical database we use. Most are manageable — but your pharmacist should know about everything you take, including vitamins and herbals.
- Major · 2
- Moderate · 11
- Minor · 9
Educational information from a licensed clinical database (Natural Medicines) — see our data sources & update cadence. Not medical advice: an interaction being documented does not mean it will happen to you; do not start or stop medications or supplements without professional guidance.
Desflurane: pharmacist answers to common questions
Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Desflurane — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.
What is desflurane used for?
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How is it given to me?
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What side effects might I notice afterward?
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What should I tell my anesthesia team beforehand?
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Is it safe in pregnancy or for young children?
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Is Desflurane available over the counter?
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When was Desflurane first available?
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Who makes Desflurane?
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Answers drafted from the FDA-approved label with AI and reviewed by our pharmacy team. How we use AI →
More about Desflurane on HelloPharmacist
Desflurane forms and strengths (how it comes)
Desflurane is available in 2 forms. Different forms and brands can have different approved uses, doses, schedules, and directions. Follow the instructions for your exact product, and do not switch forms without guidance from your prescriber or pharmacist.
Need a version that does not list lactose, a gluten source, a dye or gelatin? Inactive ingredients differ by manufacturer: see Desflurane inactive ingredients by manufacturer.
Inhalation solution (nebulizer)
How this form is used
- Suprane is used to start and/or maintain anesthesia in adults, and to maintain anesthesia in intubated children after induction with other agents.
- Desflurane USP liquid for inhalation has the same adult and pediatric anesthesia uses.
- Suprane is given by inhalation only by people trained in general anesthesia.
- Suprane must be given using a vaporizer specifically designed for desflurane.
- Desflurane USP liquid for inhalation is also given by inhalation using a vaporizer designated for desflurane.
Oral solution
Desflurane on the U.S. market: products, makers and brands
How Desflurane appears in the FDA’s National Drug Code Directory — including its dosage forms, strengths, brand names, manufacturers, and FDA-listed product records. These are directory records, not sales or prescription volume.
4 companies list 6 Desflurane product records with the FDA, mostly as inhalation solution (nebulizer), oral solution; the earliest marketing or approval year on record is 1992. Brand names on the directory include Suprane; the rest are generics.
FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.
How widely Desflurane is used (Medicaid data)
A general measure of how commonly Desflurane is prescribed, based on Medicaid — one of the largest public drug programs. The figure below is prescriptions filled in Q1–Q4 2025, summed across every form and brand of the drug.
Think of this as a proxy for how widely Desflurane is used, drawn from freely available public data. Medicaid is just one program — these numbers don’t include Medicare, other government coverage, or commercial and cash-pay prescriptions, so real-world use is higher than what’s shown here.
How commonly is Desflurane prescribed? Of the 1,601 medications we measure, Desflurane ranks #1,326 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 17% of them.
Utilization by Desflurane product
Pick a product to see its own Medicaid numbers. Each chip is one clinical product — a specific strength & dosage form as defined by RxNorm — with brand-name and generic versions combined.
desflurane 1000 MG/ML Inhalation Solution
Summed across the 1 of 16 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 562366
Shares are of the Medicaid prescriptions shown here. Product grouping follows RxNorm (the National Library of Medicine’s drug terminology), so “one product” means one strength & dosage form regardless of manufacturer. Dollar figures are gross Medicaid reimbursement before mandatory rebates — rebates (often large, especially for brand-name drugs) are confidential, so actual net cost to Medicaid is lower than shown.
Source: Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data (CMS), aggregated by generic ingredient — summed across every NDC (all brands, strengths, salt forms and dosage forms) of Desflurane, and across all states and both fee-for-service and managed-care claims. A general popularity signal; it excludes Medicare, commercial insurance and cash prescriptions, so it is not total U.S. use. Based on the 1 of 16 listed Desflurane NDCs with Medicaid activity.
Compare Desflurane products
A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Desflurane — across manufacturers, strengths, and dosage forms, grouped by form with each product’s manufacturer and how the FDA approved it. The same medicine may be made and packaged by different companies, so a single drug can have many directory entries. (It’s also why a refill can look different — a new shape, color, or box — even though it contains the same medication.)
| Strength | Route | Manufacturer / Labeler | Category ⓘ | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 💊Inhalation solution (nebulizer) | ||||
| 240 mL/240 mL | Respiratory (inhalation) | Baxter Healthcare Corporation × 3 listings | NDA | View NDC → |
| 240 mL/240 mL | Respiratory (inhalation) | Henry Schein, Inc. | NDA | View NDC → |
| 250 mL/250 mL | Respiratory (inhalation) | Piramal Critical Care Inc | UNAPPROVED DRUG OTHER | View NDC → |
| 240 mL/240 mL | Respiratory (inhalation) | Sandoz Inc. | ANDA | View NDC → |
Showing 6 of 6 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 6 Desflurane NDCs →
Desflurane side effects reported to the FDA (FAERS)
After a medicine reaches the market, patients, doctors and drugmakers can send the FDA reports of problems they think may be linked to it. Here’s what’s been reported for Desflurane — a signal of what to watch for, not proof the drug caused it.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). These are voluntary reports — they don’t prove the drug caused the effect, and counts reflect how often something was reported, not how often it actually happens. Reports also often name the very problem the medicine is taken for — a common reason to file one is that the drug didn’t help — so for a pain reliever you may see “pain” high on the list; that points to why the report was filed, not to the drug causing the symptom. This counts every report that lists Desflurane in any role, so the total runs higher than the FDA’s official dashboard, which counts only cases where the drug is the suspect. For the authoritative figures, see the FDA FAERS Public Dashboard. Always talk to your pharmacist or doctor.
Desflurane FDA approval history
How Desflurane went from FDA review to the pharmacy shelf — the key milestones in its regulatory journey.
Source: Drugs@FDA.
Desflurane recall history
A recall is when a specific batch of a medicine is pulled from the market — usually a manufacturing issue, not a problem with the drug itself. Class I is most serious, Class III least.
The FDA’s enforcement reports list no Desflurane recalls since July 2021.
✅No Desflurane recalls on record since July 2021Source: FDA enforcement (recall) reports, via openFDA; our copy was last updated Sep 24, 2026.
RxNorm Concept Web — From Ingredient to Every Form and Strength
This page starts with one ingredient concept (IN). The branches below show its dose-form concepts (SCDF), then the available clinical drug and strength concepts (SCD). Combination products remain separate concepts with their own pages.
RxCUI 27340 1 dose form · 1 strength
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Dose form (SCDF) Inhalation Solution RxCUI 2108330In current FDA listingsClinical drug / strength (SCD) 1000 MG/MLRxCUI 562366
Look up RxCUI 27340 in the RxCUI Atlas →
RxNorm is the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s normalized drug vocabulary. Its concept hierarchy can include forms that are not currently marketed; the status on each branch compares that concept with current FDA listings. RxCUIs identify vocabulary concepts, not individual packages or manufacturers.
Desflurane supply and shortage status
Whether Desflurane is in short supply in the U.S. right now, plus any shortage history the FDA has on record. A shortage usually reflects a manufacturing or demand issue — not a safety problem with the drug.
Source: openFDA, from the FDA Drug Shortages database.
Desflurane brand names
Desflurane is sold under one brand name in the FDA directory — Suprane. A brand and its generic contain the same active ingredient; the brand name belongs to one company's product.
Who makes Desflurane: manufacturers and labelers
4 companies list Desflurane products with the FDA. By number of product records, the largest are Baxter Healthcare Corporation, Henry Schein, Inc., Piramal Critical Care Inc. Labelers include manufacturers and repackagers; the product in your bottle depends on which one your pharmacy stocks.
Desflurane drug class (RxNorm)
Desflurane belongs to the General Anesthetic class.
Classified by RxNorm RxClass — the U.S. National Library of Medicine's standardized drug-classification service (Established Pharmacologic Class from the FDA, the ATC drug family from the WHO, and mechanism of action). Reference only, not medical advice.
Sources for this Desflurane page
Core label, product, RxNorm, safety, and utilization data on this page come from the sources identified below. AI-written, editorial, and licensed sections are labeled separately.
How this page is built
HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records and does not author the underlying clinical facts. The plain-language sections are written with AI from the FDA-approved label text and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Baxter Healthcare Corporation is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates. This is general education, not medical advice: always talk to your doctor or pharmacist about your own medicines. How we build and review drug pages →