To investigate the safety of nitrous oxide (N2O) anaesthesia in patients with risk factors for coronary artery disease undergoing major surgery.

Approximately 25% of patients undergoing major surgery have known coronary artery disease (CAD) or risk factors for CAD.

N2O interferes with vitamin B12 and folate metabolism. This impairs production of methionine (from homocysteine), used to form tetrahydrofolate and thymidine during DNA synthesis. It has been repeatedly demonstrated that N2O anaesthesia increases postoperative homocysteine levels. Chronic hyperhomocysteinaemia is associated with cardiovascular disease, and acute hyperhomocysteinaemia is known to cause endothelial dysfunction. One small trial has demonstrated an increased incidence of postoperative myocardial ischaemia in patients receiving N2O anaesthesia. Reducing postoperative myocardial infarction and death are important aims for those with CAD undergoing major surgery.

Our previous trial (ENIGMA) studied 2050 patients and identified some serious adverse effects, but most patients were not at risk of CAD and so we could not reliably assess serious cardiac complications. We propose a large simple randomized clinical trial of 7,000 patients to provide a definitive evaluation of the safety of N2O anaesthesia.

Updated statistical analysis plan can be found at www.enigma2.org.au.

Inclusion Criteria

1. Adult males and females age ≥ 45 years, undergoing noncardiac surgery and general anaesthesia expected to exceed two hours.

2. At increased risk of cardiac events, defined as any of

   1. history of coronary artery disease as defined by a history of any one of the following: i. angina ii. MI iii. segmental wall motion abnormality on echocardiography or a fixed defect on radionuclide imaging iv. a positive exercise stress test for cardiac ischaemia v. a positive radionuclide exercise, echocardiographic exercise, or pharmacological cardiovascular stress test for cardiac ischaemia vi. coronary revascularization (CABG or PTCA) vii. angiographic evidence of atherosclerotic stenosis > 50% of the diameter of any coronary artery viii. ECG with pathological Q waves in two contiguous leads

   2. heart failure

   3. cerebrovascular disease thought due to atherothrombotic disease

   4. aortic or peripheral vascular disease

   5. or three or more of the following risk factors:

      • age ≥70 years
      • any history of congestive heart failure
      • diabetes and currently on an oral hypoglycaemic agent or insulin therapy
      • current treatment for hypertension
      • preoperative serum creatinine >175 micro mol/L (> 2.0 mg/dl)
      • current or previous high cholesterol ≥6.2 mmol/L (> 240 mg/dl)
      • history of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) (i.e. a transient focal neurological deficit that lasted less than 24 hours and thought to be vascular in origin)
      • emergency/urgent surgery (i.e. surgery which must be undertaken within 24 hours of acute presentation to hospital)
      • high-risk type of surgery (i.e. intrathoracic or intraperitoneal)

Exclusion Criteria

1. having cardiac surgery
2. marked impairment of gas-exchange expected to require Fi02> 0.5 intraoperatively
3. specific circumstances where N2O is contraindicated (eg. volvulus, pulmonary hypertension, raised intracranial pressure) or the anaesthetist plans to use supplemental oxygen (eg. colorectal surgery)
4. N2O unavailable for use.

Of 10 102 eligible patients, 7112 patients were enrolled and randomly assigned: 3543 to receive nitrous oxide and 3569 not to receive nitrous oxide; 7011 patients underwent induction of anaesthesia and were included at baseline, and 6992 patients were assessed for the primary endpoint (figure 1).

30 Days

Adverse events do not include the primary endpoint variables

All 'other' adverse events the events were classed according to system MedDRA reporting and not by individual event.

The treating anaesthetist will be unblinded to the allocation. All other personnel (surgeon, participant and outcome assessor are all blinded to treatment.