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Free radicals
Author(s) -
ROYSTON D.
Publication year - 1988
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1988.tb08984.x
Subject(s) - medicine , radical , biochemistry , chemistry
Summary Free radical species are ubiquitous in plant and animal life. This article describes briefly the formation of certain oxygen‐centred free radicals which are essential for aerobic metabolism and host defences in humans. The mechanism of cytotoxicity of excess or inappropriate free radical production is described. The potential relevance of free radical tissue injury to the anaesthetist is illustrated using oxygen toxicity, adult respiratory distress syndrome and halothane hepatitis as examples.