What medication anesthesiologists smells during the surgery in OR to drug themselves?

Question

I cant remember the name of it

Answer 1

Ether? Nitrous Oxide?

Answer 2

The only gaseous medication used in the operating room these days is sevoflurane, an ether-type inhalant for adjunct anesthesia induction.  If anesthesiologists are inhaling the stuff that is pretty serious malpractice...

Answer 3

We don't do that.  We have people's lives in our hands, and we take our work seriously.  You are under a very, very wrong misapprehension.

The gases we have are nitrous oxide, sevoflurane, desflurane and isoflurane.  The last three stink, and cause nausea.  Nitrous is used by some as a party drug, but not by us, because we know the risks.

Physicians who abuse drugs are more likely to go with the IV stuff.  I've known a handful of addicts, and most of them were surgeons, actually, although anesthesia folks are at risk because we have easy access to drugs of abuse.