Toxic ingredients in misued inhalants

Misused inhalant	Toxic ingredients
Aerosol propellants	Halogenated hydrocarbons, propane, isobutane
Dry-cleaning fluids, spot removers, furniture polish	Chlorinated hydrocarbons, aliphatic (gasoline) hydrocarbons
Glues, cements, rubber patching	Toluene, acetone, benzene, aliphatic acetates, n-hexane, cyclohexane, halocarbons, xylene, butyl alcohol, methylethylketone, methylethylisobutylketone, chloroform, ethanol, triorthocresyl phosphate, naphtha, isopropanol, glycol
Lighter fluid	Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons
Fire-extinguishing agents	Fluorocarbons
Fingernail polish remover	Acetone, aliphatic acetates, benzene, alcohol
Bottle fuel gas	Butane, propane
Typewriter correction fluid	Trichloroethane, trichloroethylene
Natural gas	Methane, ethane, propane, butane
Marker pens	Toluene, xylene
Paints, enamels, lacquers, lacquer and paint thinners	Toluene, methylene chloride, aliphatic acetates, benzene, ethanol
Paint strippers	Dichloromethane
Petroleum (gasoline, naphtha, benzene)	Aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons, butane, hexane, pentane, benzene, toluene, xylene; tetraethyl lead
Whipped cream dispensers	Nitrous oxide
Anesthetics	Nitrous oxide, diethyl ether, halothane, chloroform, enflurane, isoflurane, trichloroethylene
Room odorizers	Amyl, butyl, isobutyl nitrite
Solvents	Methylethylketone, carbon tetrachloride, chloroform, diethyl ether, n-hexane, methylisobutylketone

Adapted from:

Dinwiddle SH. Abuse of inhalants: a review. Addiction 1994; 89:925.
Brust JC. Acute neurologic complications of drug and alcohol abuse. Neurol Clin North Am 1998; 16:503.
Caputo RA. Volatile substance misuse in children and youth: a consideration of theories. Int J Addict 1993; 28:1015.

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