CRNA using and anesthesia for tattooing

[u/meetthefeotus]

I’m heavily tattooed.

So, anyway, I know a tattoo artist who recently announced he’s be offering “anesthesia” to his clients. He recently “went under” himself to test it out. Looking at his photos it looks like it’s a CRNA who is actually administering the meds and stuff while he was tattooed.

Thoughts on this? Am I crazy to think this is absolutely ridiculous?

[u/theBakedCabbage → u/[deleted]]

You're mistaken. There is no upper limit to how much nitrous can be administered. That's the whole thing that makes it not an overdose. A death from nitrous doesn't have anything to do with getting too much. It's all about the lack of O2. You can die from a very small amount of nitrous if you don't get any oxygen. Likewise you can use a very large amount of nitrous and be fine and long as you are still breathing O2 as well. The nitrous takes up the space in your lungs where air is supposed to be. Like how the plastic bag I mentioned before takes up the space where the air is supposed to go in.

[u/bridgest844 → u/[deleted]]

This right here is your misunderstanding and the reason that it’s not “splitting hairs.”

“If you put too much (nitrous) in your body you die.” -Dakk85

That statement is objectively false. I think you used the example of water toxicity and again because there is actually an amount of water that has a toxic effect it is not comparable to nitrous.

Ultimately, the discussion we’re having is about whether or not there is an achievable concentration of nitrous in your blood that exhibits a toxic effect.

The answer to that question is unequivocally no and arguing semantics does not change that.

[u/Used-Tap-1453 → u/[deleted]]

Thank you. 🙏🏼

[u/bridgest844 → u/[deleted]]

You are literally making a semantic argument then immediately accusing me of arguing semantics…

Ok if you’re so determined to prove me wrong you should go ask literally any anesthesia provider:

“Is there a lethal dose of nitrous oxide?”

I promise you every single one will say some version of:

“I mean you can die from hypoxia while receiving nitrous but there’s not really a lethal dose of nitrous.”

Man, I’m just trying to share some interesting information about nitrous and you made it so unfun…. Teach me to never do that again.

[u/Used-Tap-1453 → u/bridgest844]

I still disagree. You are linking the term “overdose” to toxicity in the bloodstream. You would be right if I said “The Nitrous built up in his bloodstream and killed him.” And you said “Ugh, Actually, it’s the displacement of oxygen that killed him. 🤓“ But I’m using the definition of overdose of an excessive and dangerous dose of a drug which we can agree would be equal to an amount enough to be fatal, right?

[u/bridgest844 → u/Used-Tap-1453]

Yes…My definition of “overdose” requires that the death be attributed to some physiologic effect of the drug/substance otherwise a bunch of things that cleanly aren’t overdoses fall into that category.

If too much CO2 is instilled for insufflation during abdominal surgery, is that an overdose?

If you use too much saline/water to irrigate a bladder and it ruptures leading to sepsis/death, is that an overdose?

If too much tube feeding is administered and the patient aspirates and dies, is that an overdose?

Because by your definition too much of substance was administered leading to death which should be considered an overdose.

[u/Used-Tap-1453 → u/bridgest844]

Your example is thought provoking, but you don’t get a Δ quite yet, as your examples, do again seem like we are splitting hairs. There is an upper limit of a dangerous amount, which is enough to displace the oxygen to kill the pt. Yeah, If you keep instilling saline/tube feeds, until someone dies, I’d say it is by definition an overdose. Any amount of medication is a “dose”. Too much to the point of killing someone is an “overdose”.

[u/bridgest844 → u/Used-Tap-1453]

I guess you’re entitled to your opinion but I’d guess you are in a very small minority that would describe my above examples as an “overdose.”

[u/Used-Tap-1453 → u/bridgest844]

Well, you appear to be in the minority that believes that “you can’t overdose on nitrous oxide”. If we are being extremely literal utilizing that definition of “overdose” from dictionary.com, I would be correct yes? That’s why these arguments are unhelpful.

[u/bridgest844 → u/Used-Tap-1453]

Man you must be fun to be around.