Tingling, serious neurological problems, heart attacks, psychiatric disorders... Consumption of "proto" is not without risk. In Lille, a team of researchers is making progress in treating patients.
Consumption has become commonplace and has exploded in recent years.
The "proto", for nitrous oxide, is the preserve of the young. Originally used in medicine and cooking - notably to make whipped cream - nitrous oxide has been hijacked for its euphoric effects.
Videos posted on social networks show teenagers and young adults inhaling the gas in the street or in their cars. The result: uncontrollable laughter... but above all, serious health consequences.
Neurological, cardiological and psychiatric consequences
Nitrous oxide can thus lead to "significant neurological disorders", as Emeline Gernez, a medical biology intern at Lille University Hospital, explains. The young researcher has won an award in the USA for her work, which is aimed at improving patient care. "The neurological symptoms are varied: tingling, walking disorders, patients who end up in wheelchairs. We also have patients who suffer thrombosis or stroke, for example", explains Emeline Gernez, researcher and medical biology intern at Lille University Hospital.
Nitrous oxide can have consequences not only for the brain, but also for cardiology and psychiatry. And that's not counting the number of road accidents caused by drivers using nitrous oxide at the wheel.
In this laboratory at the Lille hospital, the blood of patients who have undergone emergency treatment for nitrous oxide inhalation is analyzed. This data is used to identify the molecules that affect the health of laughing gas users.
Increased blood markers
In nitrous oxide poisoning, research focuses on two things: consumption markers and clinical severity markers," explains Emeline Gernez. We've been working on clinical severity. We found increased blood markers in patients with greater clinical severity." The results of this work can be used to adapt care protocols, particularly in terms of medical imaging.
The problem of nitrous oxide is so pressing today that the Lille hospital has specialized in this field. " We're faced with a public health problem, with patients arriving who need to be treated," explains Dr Guillaume Grzych, head of the nitrous oxide network at Lille University Hospital.
Read also >>> A team from Lille University Hospital takes action to prevent the dangerous use of nitrous oxide by young people
The Lille-based specialists have set up a national network to train doctors on the subject, and provide better care for patients throughout the country. " Healthcare professionals have joined forces to respond rapidly," says Dr. Grzych. "This means adapting care protocols. But since we know so little, it also involves research."
Consumption of "proto", meanwhile, continues to evolve and is becoming increasingly massive. Initially inhaled in small capsules, this gas is now consumed in large cylinders.
Make a donation
