FDA-filed SPL labeling · retrieved through openFDA

Sevoflurane

Sevoflurane is an inhaled general anesthetic used to start and maintain anesthesia during inpatient and outpatient surgery in adults and children.

Brand names SevoFloSevospireUltanePetremSojourn
Drug class ⓘ General Anesthetic
Rx Forms 2 Route Respiratory (inhalation)
Dr. Brian Staiger, PharmD, BCPS
Reviewed by Last reviewed Jul 11, 2026
🧬 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 12 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 →

At a glance
Linked label effectiveJan 13, 2025
Clinical labels in scope ⓘ12
AvailabilityRx
Earliest approval/marketing year ⓘ1995
FDA-listed product records ⓘ40
Boxed warningNone found in compared labels
How we combine label and product data →
✓No current FDA shortage listed · checked Sep 22, 2026
⭐ Sevoflurane at a glance The quick version — the full detail is in the Patient Information Guide below.
💊
HelloPharmacist Editorial Team Bottom Line
Sevoflurane is a fast-acting inhaled anesthetic used by trained professionals to safely put patients to sleep for surgery and bring them back awake quickly. It works well in both adults and children, including for mask induction. Like all general anesthetics, it carries real risks — including malignant hyperthermia and seizures — which is why it is always given in a fully equipped medical setting by anesthesia specialists.
How we write & review this content — our editorial policy →

📖 Sevoflurane: Patient Information Guide

A plain-language walkthrough of Sevoflurane — what it treats, how it works, how it’s taken, side effects, warnings and interactions. Tap any section to expand it.

🎯What it's used for▾

Sevoflurane is an inhaled general anesthetic supported by multiple FDA-approved products for the same core use.

  • Sojourn (sevoflurane, USP) — induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Ultane — induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Sevoflurane (Volatile for Inhalation) — induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Sevoflurane, USP — induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
⚙️How it works▾

Sevoflurane is a halogenated volatile anesthetic — a liquid that becomes a breathable gas. Because it has very low solubility in blood, it moves quickly from the lungs into the bloodstream, bringing on anesthesia in roughly one minute. The depth of sedation tracks closely with the concentration being inhaled, so the anesthesia team can deepen or lighten it in real time. When the gas is turned off, it leaves the body mainly through the lungs, allowing patients to wake up relatively quickly.

Only about 5% of sevoflurane is broken down by the liver (via an enzyme called CYP2E1); one byproduct is inorganic fluoride, which peaks within two hours of finishing anesthesia and clears from the blood within 48 hours in most patients. Sevoflurane also reduces the heart's pumping strength in a dose-related way and does not significantly increase heart rate at typical anesthetic doses.

💊How it's taken▾

Sevoflurane is delivered as an inhaled gas through a specialized vaporizer attached to an anesthesia machine — always in a clinical setting by trained anesthesia professionals. The concentration is adjusted continuously based on each patient's response. It can be breathed in through a face mask to induce sleep before surgery, then continued through a breathing circuit to maintain anesthesia throughout the procedure.

  • Surgical anesthesia is typically maintained at concentrations of 0.5–3% with or without nitrous oxide
  • The required concentration decreases with age — older adults generally need less
  • No specific pre-anesthetic medication is required or prohibited; the anesthesiologist decides based on the individual patient
🤒Side effects — in detail▾

Most side effects are mild, transient, and related to the surgery or the anesthetic process overall. Common ones include:

  • Nausea and vomiting (very common after surgery)
  • Low blood pressure (hypotension)
  • Slow heart rate (bradycardia) or fast heart rate (tachycardia)
  • Agitation on waking up — especially common in children
  • Coughing, breath-holding, or brief airway spasm during mask induction
  • Drowsiness and dizziness in the recovery room
  • Shivering or feeling cold after surgery

Seek immediate medical attention for any signs of malignant hyperthermia (sudden high fever, muscle rigidity), seizures, or liver problems (jaundice, dark urine) after anesthesia — these are serious but rare reactions that require prompt treatment.

⚠️Warnings & precautions▾
  • Malignant hyperthermia: A rare, life-threatening reaction causing extreme body temperature, muscle breakdown, and organ failure. Anyone with a known or suspected genetic risk must not receive sevoflurane.
  • Seizures: Have been reported during and after sevoflurane anesthesia, most often in children and young adults, sometimes hours later. Some cases were confirmed by EEG.
  • Kidney injury: Long or high-dose anesthesia at low fresh gas flow rates may produce a breakdown product (Compound A) that can potentially harm the kidneys. The anesthesia team manages flow rates to minimize this risk.
  • Liver toxicity: Cases ranging from mild enzyme elevations to rare severe hepatic failure have been reported. Risk is higher in patients with pre-existing liver disease or who take other drugs affecting the liver.
  • Fire hazard from dry CO₂ absorbent: Dry absorbent in the anesthesia machine can react violently with sevoflurane, causing extreme heat or fire. Anesthesia teams replace absorbent routinely to prevent this.
  • Cardiovascular effects: Sevoflurane decreases the heart's output in a dose-related way; used with epinephrine it can trigger dangerous heart rhythm problems.
  • Diffuse alveolar hemorrhage (lung bleeding): Rare but serious; reported as coughing up blood or sudden shortness of breath after exposure.
🔀What it interacts with▾

Sevoflurane interacts with several medications commonly used around the time of surgery — always give your anesthesia team a complete medication list.

  • Epinephrine: Raises the risk of ventricular arrhythmias (dangerous heart rhythm problems); the team monitors heart rhythm closely if this combination is used
  • Calcium channel blockers (e.g., verapamil): Can cause a marked drop in blood pressure and impair conduction between the heart's chambers
  • MAO inhibitors: May cause unpredictable and dangerous blood pressure swings during surgery
  • Nitrous oxide: Reduces the amount of sevoflurane needed; the team adjusts concentrations accordingly
  • Nondepolarizing muscle relaxants (vecuronium, pancuronium, atracurium): Sevoflurane makes them stronger and longer-lasting; lower maintenance doses are usually required
  • Benzodiazepines and opioids: Reduce the sevoflurane concentration needed to maintain anesthesia
  • Isoniazid and chronic alcohol use: May increase how much sevoflurane is broken down by the liver, potentially increasing byproduct levels
  • Drugs that can harm the liver: Concurrent use may increase the risk of liver injury; extra monitoring is warranted

This is not a complete list of interactions. Always talk with your doctor or pharmacist before starting, stopping, or changing any medication.

📋Before taking it▾
  • Do not receive sevoflurane if you or a close blood relative has a known or suspected risk of malignant hyperthermia
  • Do not receive it if you have had a known allergic reaction to sevoflurane or another halogenated inhaled anesthetic
  • Tell your anesthesia team about all prescription and over-the-counter medications, especially calcium channel blockers, MAO inhibitors, seizure medications, or blood thinners
  • Tell the team about any history of liver disease or prior liver problems after anesthesia — including jaundice or hepatitis
  • Tell the team about kidney disease or reduced kidney function
  • Older adults need lower concentrations; the required anesthetic dose decreases with advancing age
  • Premature infants: Safe dosing concentrations have not been established for premature neonates
  • If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, discuss risks and benefits with your care team before receiving any general anesthetic
  • Report any history of seizures — your team needs to know, as sevoflurane has been associated with post-operative seizures, particularly in younger patients
🚑If you take too much▾

If too much sevoflurane is given, the priority is to stop the drug immediately. The airway is kept open and breathing is supported with oxygen and assisted ventilation as needed, while the heart and circulation are monitored and supported.

Because sevoflurane leaves the body rapidly through the lungs, stopping the gas quickly is the most important step — which is why anesthesia professionals monitor drug levels continuously throughout every procedure.

📡Pharmacodynamics — effects in the body▾

Sevoflurane produces general anesthesia whose depth changes rapidly as the inhaled concentration is adjusted — making it very controllable. It causes a dose-related decrease in the heart's pumping strength and does not increase heart rate at doses below 2 MAC (the concentration needed to keep half of patients unresponsive to a surgical stimulus). In clinical studies, patients woke up and responded to commands faster with sevoflurane than with older agents like halothane or isoflurane, and recovery room discharge times were comparable to other modern anesthetics.

🔬Pharmacokinetics — how your body processes it▾

Sevoflurane's very low blood solubility means it rapidly equilibrates between the lungs and the bloodstream — anesthesia builds quickly (alveolar concentration reaches 50% of the inhaled dose in about one minute, versus 4–8 minutes for isoflurane) and clears quickly once stopped. Approximately 5% of a sevoflurane dose is metabolized by the liver enzyme CYP2E1 into a compound called hexafluoroisopropanol (HFIP) plus inorganic fluoride; HFIP is quickly processed and eliminated in the urine. Fluoride levels peak within 2 hours of finishing anesthesia and return to baseline within 48 hours in most patients, with a half-life of roughly 15–23 hours. The vast majority of sevoflurane is simply exhaled — that rapid lung elimination is what makes recovery so quick.

📦How to store it▾

Store at 20° to 25°C (68° to 77°F); excursions permitted to 15º to 30°C (59° to 86°F) .

📄 Written from Sevoflurane’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Every point is grounded in that labeling — nothing is invented. How we use AI →

🩺 Pharmacist Counseling Corner

Quick, plain-English answers to the questions patients ask most about Sevoflurane — the kind of thing our pharmacy team would talk through with you at the counter.

What exactly is sevoflurane and why would my doctor use it instead of other anesthetics? ▾
Sevoflurane is a gas you breathe in through a mask to go completely under for surgery. Anesthesiologists often choose it because it works very quickly — you're typically asleep within a minute or two — and you wake up relatively fast once it's turned off. It also has a mild, non-irritating smell, which makes it especially good for children who need to breathe it in through a mask rather than get an IV first. It's been used safely in millions of surgeries in both adults and kids.
What side effects should I expect after waking up from sevoflurane anesthesia? ▾
The most common things people notice after surgery are nausea and vomiting, feeling drowsy or dizzy, and sometimes shivering. Some people — especially children — feel agitated or confused when they first wake up, but this usually passes quickly. Most of these effects are mild and short-lived. Your recovery room nurses will be watching you closely and can treat nausea or discomfort right away.
Are there any serious reactions I or my family should watch for after I get home? ▾
Most people feel back to normal relatively quickly, but there are a few things worth knowing about. Rarely, people develop liver problems after anesthesia — signs include yellowing of the skin or eyes, very dark urine, or severe nausea and belly pain in the days after surgery. Seizures have also been reported after sevoflurane, most often in younger patients, sometimes up to a day later. If you or your child has any of these, or feels unexpectedly very unwell after going home, contact your doctor or go to an emergency room right away.
I've heard of something called malignant hyperthermia — should I be worried? ▾
Malignant hyperthermia is a rare but very serious genetic condition where certain anesthetics trigger a life-threatening spike in body temperature and severe muscle breakdown. If you or anyone in your immediate family has ever had this reaction to anesthesia, or has been told you carry the genetic risk, you absolutely must tell your anesthesia team before any procedure — sevoflurane is contraindicated in that case. In patients without this risk, it is extremely rare. Your surgical team is trained and equipped to recognize and treat it if it ever did occur.
Is it safe for my child to have sevoflurane anesthesia? ▾
Yes — sevoflurane is approved and commonly used in pediatric patients, including infants. Its mild odor makes it particularly well-suited for mask induction in children who may be frightened of needles. The dose is adjusted carefully by age, since younger and smaller patients need different concentrations. One thing to know: children can sometimes be agitated or confused for a short time when waking up, which is normal and usually passes quickly. Your anesthesiologist will tailor the approach for your child's age and health.
Do my regular medications affect sevoflurane, and do I need to stop any before surgery? ▾
Some medications do interact with sevoflurane, so it's important to give your anesthesia team a complete list — including supplements and over-the-counter drugs. Notably, calcium channel blockers (a type of blood pressure medication) can cause a bigger drop in blood pressure under anesthesia, and MAO inhibitors (used for depression) can cause dangerous blood pressure swings. Your team will tell you specifically which medications to take or skip on the morning of surgery. Never stop a medication on your own without checking first.
Is Sevoflurane available over the counter? ▾
Sevoflurane is dispensed by prescription according to its FDA labeling, so it isn't sold over the counter. Your prescriber and pharmacist will determine if it's appropriate for you.
When was Sevoflurane first available? ▾
Sevoflurane has been available in the United States since at least 1995, based on FDA approval history (Drugs@FDA) and product marketing records.
Who makes Sevoflurane? ▾
Sevoflurane is supplied by 12 manufacturers listed in the FDA NDC Directory, including Piramal Critical Care Inc, Baxter Healthcare Corporation, AbbVie Inc..

💬 Answers drafted from Sevoflurane’s FDA-approved label information, summarized in plain language with AI, and reviewed by our pharmacy team before publication. Grounded in that labeling — nothing is made up. How we use AI →

🧰 Keep exploring

🌿Drug & Supplement CheckerSevoflurane vs. vitamins & herbs 💬Ask a PharmacistFree answer, usually < 24h 🔎NDC & pricing lookupFind Sevoflurane NDCs & costs 🅰️Browse Drugs A–ZLook up any medication

💊 How Sevoflurane comes

Sevoflurane 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.

Inhalation solution (nebulizer)

Inhaled
Brands Sojourn Ultane
How this form is used
What it may be used for
  • Sojourn is indicated for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Ultane is indicated for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Sevoflurane (Volatile for Inhalation) is indicated for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
  • Sevoflurane (USP) is indicated for induction and maintenance of general anesthesia in adult and pediatric patients for inpatient and outpatient surgery
Important instructions
  • Must be administered only by persons trained in the administration of general anesthesia using a vaporizer calibrated specifically for sevoflurane
  • Sojourn and Ultane: the CO₂ absorbent should be replaced if there is any suspicion it has dried out, as dry absorbent can cause dangerous reactions with sevoflurane
  • Sevoflurane has a mild, non-irritating odor and is suitable for mask induction in both adults and children
  • Surgical anesthesia can usually be maintained with concentrations of 0.5–3% sevoflurane, with or without nitrous oxide, adjusted to each patient's response
Available strengths 2 strengths
1 mL/mL 250 mL/250 mL
34 FDA-listed product records ⓘ

📊 Sevoflurane across the U.S. market

How Sevoflurane 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.

2
Dose forms ⓘ
12
Manufacturers
4
Brand names
40
FDA-listed product records ⓘ
1995
First marketed ⓘ

FDA-listed product records by dose form (tablet variants merged) — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

Piramal Critical Care Inc28%
Baxter Healthcare Corporation25%
AbbVie Inc.10%
Halocarbon Life Sciences, LLC8%
Shandong New Time Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.8%
Baxter Healthcare Company5%
Other makers18%

Share of FDA-listed product records by manufacturer — FDA National Drug Code Directory. Record counts are not sales or prescription volume.

📈 How widely Sevoflurane is used

A general measure of how commonly Sevoflurane 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 Sevoflurane 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.

10,339
Medicaid prescriptions filled (Q1–Q4 2025)
$1.9M gross Medicaid reimbursement (before mandatory rebates — net cost is lower)

How commonly is Sevoflurane prescribed? Of the 1,596 medications we measure, Sevoflurane ranks #928 by Medicaid prescriptions — more than 42% of them.

Where Sevoflurane ranks among the drugs we measure · Q1–Q4 2025 · neighbors ±5
Total prescriptions — #928 of 1,596
#923 Pitolisant 10,461 Rx #924 Methylphenidate Transd... 10,420 Rx #925 Dibasic / Monobasic /... 10,399 Rx #926 Dofetilide 10,363 Rx #927 Felodipine 10,352 Rx #928 Sevoflurane 10,339 Rx #929 Menthol / Methyl Salic... 10,307 Rx #930 Ascorbic Acid / Polyet... 10,304 Rx #931 Sotatercept-Csrk 10,198 Rx #932 Salicylic Acid Topical 10,185 Rx #933 Anifrolumab-fnia Injec... 10,185 Rx

Utilization by Sevoflurane 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.

sevoflurane 1000 MG/ML Inhalation Solution

10,339 Medicaid prescriptions (Q1–Q4 2025) 100% of Sevoflurane prescriptions shown $1.9M gross reimbursement (before rebates) ≈ $184 per prescription (gross)

Summed across the 6 of 22 listed NDC products with Medicaid activity — every brand and generic of this exact strength & form. RxNorm 200243

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 Sevoflurane, 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 6 of 22 listed Sevoflurane NDCs with Medicaid activity.

🔍 Compare Sevoflurane products

A representative set of FDA-listed product records for Sevoflurane — 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.)

Showing 40 of 40 products — FDA National Drug Code Directory. See every product, package size and price: browse all 40 Sevoflurane NDCs →

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.

Ingredient (IN) Sevoflurane RxCUI 36453 1 dose form · 1 strength
  1. Dose form (SCDF) Inhalation Solution RxCUI 2108407 In current FDA listings
    Clinical drug / strength (SCD) 1000 MG/ML RxCUI 200243

Look up RxCUI 36453 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.

🏷️ Sold under these brand names

SevoFlo Sevospire Ultane Petrem Sojourn

🏭 Manufacturers & labelers

Piramal Critical Care Inc 11 Baxter Healthcare Corporation 10 AbbVie Inc. 4 Halocarbon Life Sciences, LLC 3 Shandong New Time Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd. 3 Baxter Healthcare Company 2 Sandoz Inc. 2 Bryant Ranch Prepack 1 Central Glass Co.,Ltd. 1 Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals Co., Ltd. 1 Lannett Company, Inc. 1 Mullan Pharmaceutical Inc. 1

RxNorm drug class

Sevoflurane belongs to the General Anesthetic class.

Pharmacologic class General Anesthetic
Drug family (ATC) Halogenated hydrocarbons

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.

🔬 Where this comes from

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.

📄
FDA-filed drug labels (SPL) Uses, dosing, warnings & side effects from SPL records retrieved through openFDA; the linked representative set can be verified on DailyMed. ✓ Linked label effective Jan 13, 2025
🏭
Forms, brands & labelersAggregated from ingredient-matched FDA National Drug Code Directory product records for Sevoflurane.
📈
Real-world reportsThe FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS), served through openFDA.
🚨
Recalls & shortagesopenFDA drug-enforcement reports and the FDA drug-shortage database.
🧾 Clinical label set — FDA-filed SPL labels retained for Sevoflurane after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching
Clinical labels in scope
12
NDC products indexed
40
Distinct labelers/manufacturers represented
12
Linked representative label ⓘ
AbbVie Inc.
Linked label effective
Jan 13, 2025
Composite sections available
19
Linked SPL Set ID
4c6e76bc-c964-4955-e0a3-511d3386a9cc
Linked SPL Document ID
20a177a4-8440-46f9-98f4-c51d395e4a46
Open the linked representative label on DailyMed ↗

How we combine label and product data

HelloPharmacist combines public FDA and NLM records; we don’t author the underlying clinical facts. We identified 12 FDA-filed SPL label sets within the page’s selected clinical scope after exact ingredient or ingredient-combination matching and applicable route/form matching. The representative label is the starting point for the displayed reference monograph; the 12 largest stored in-scope SPL records, which may include that representative, are compared section by section, and the longest available version of each section is retained. Forms, routes, brands, labelers, product-listed strengths, and product-record counts are aggregated separately from ingredient-matched FDA NDC Directory records; package records listed above are associated with the linked SPL; and the normalized concept hierarchy comes from NLM RxNorm.

For canonical ingredient pages, bounded product-attributed indication and administration excerpts may be added to the AI evidence, and the generator is instructed to preserve available product, brand, route, and form qualifiers instead of treating one label as universal. Where a section is identified as AI-written, its plain-language text is generated from bounded label evidence. New draft drug pages remain in the admin review queue before first publication. AbbVie Inc. is the representative DailyMed label linked for verification and dates; it is not the sole source used for the page.

This is general education, not medical advice — always consult your doctor or pharmacist about your medications and any medical condition. For the exact wording of the linked representative label, view that label on DailyMed; some displayed composite sections may come from other in-scope SPL labels. Learn how we use AI and our data sources & update cadence.