Medical and sanitary compressed gases

Medical compressed gases can be medicines or for sanitary use. These include gases in gaseous phase packaged at a pressure of 200 or 300 bars for healthcare use.

The most common medical products for sanitary use are:

• Medical carbon dioxide. Inert gas used in endoscopies, laparoscopies, colonoscopies, arthroscopies, and diagnosis through cell cultures.
• Medical helium. Noble gas used in cryotherapy to remove abnormal tissues and tumours and in a liquid state in MRI scans. It is also used mixed with oxygen to clear upper respiratory passages.
• Pulmonary function gas mixtures. Mixtures composed of two or three gases, applied to measure diffusing capacity, pulmonary blood flow, and diagnosing pulmonary function.

On the other hand, the most commont medicines compressed gases are:

• Medical air. Non-toxic gas used in ventilators for anaesthesia or resuscitation.

• Medical oxygen. The most used gas. It is used in oxygen therapy, aerosol therapy, anaesthesia, and resuscitation.

• Medical nitrous oxide. Also known as dinitrogen oxide, it is a gas for anaesthesia and analgesia.

• Nodolox. A gas mixture of 50 % oxygen and 50 % nitrous oxide for inhaled analgesia with a calming and sedative effect.

For more information about OXIGEN salud medications, consult the CIMA website:

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/74947/FT_74947.html

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/83099/FT_83099.html

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/68345/FT_68345.html

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/67000/FT_67000.html

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/66968/FT_66968.html

https://cima.aemps.es/cima/dochtml/ft/81345/FT_81345.html

Date of last revision: December 2025.