Halothane

Halothane, also called fluothane, is a general anesthetic to induce or maintain anesthesia. Its systematic name is 2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane.

Halothane

It was discovered in 1955 and approved for medical use in 1958.

It was replaced with newer anaesthetics such as isoflurane and enflurane in developed countries. In some severe cases, repeated exposure led to a severe liver injury. Also, fear of hepatitis helped make the decision to not use halothane for adults in the 1980s and the 1990s for children.