Atemgasen

Atemgase, or inhalation gases, are gases or gas mixtures intended for breathing. They are used in medicine, diving, and industry, and may be supplied as pure gases or blends with specific percentages of constituents. The properties of a gas—its oxygen content, pressure, temperature, and inertness—determine its suitability to a given application and its safety requirements.

In medicine, oxygen supports cellular respiration and is delivered as medical oxygen or in mixtures with other gases such as medical air. Nitrous oxide serves as an analgesic and anesthetic adjunct. Nitric oxide may be inhaled to treat pulmonary hypertension. Heliox (helium–oxygen) lowers airway resistance in obstructive disease, while xenon has been used as an inhaled anesthetic in some settings. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy uses oxygen at elevated pressure for certain conditions.

In diving and other high-pressure scenarios, breathing gas blends are designed to manage oxygen exposure and inert gas effects under pressure. Common breathing gases include air, nitrox (enriched oxygen), trimix (oxygen, nitrogen, helium), and heliox. The choice depends on depth, duration, and safety considerations such as nitrogen narcosis and oxygen toxicity.

Safety and regulation are important for Atemgase. Gases are specified by purity, moisture content, and trace impurities, with standards issued by bodies such as ISO or pharmacopoeias. Handling requires proper cylinder labeling, storage, and leak testing, and clinicians and divers are trained to manage risk factors such as fire hazards in high-oxygen environments or neurological effects of high partial pressures.