Halothane

Halothane, aka Fluothane, is a general anesthetic used to induce or maintain anesthesia. Its systematic name is 2-Bromo-2-Chloro-1,1,1-trifluoroethane.

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

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