Blood–gas partition coefficient

Blood–gas partition coefficient, also known as Ostwald coefficient for blood–gas, is a term used in pharmacology to describe the solubility of inhaled general anesthetics in blood. The higher the blood–gas partition coefficient, the more soluble the anesthetic is in blood compared to in air (or some other gas), and the more it binds to lipids and proteins in the blood. The coefficient is defined as the ratio of the concentration in blood to the concentration in gas that is in contact with that blood, when the partial pressure in both compartments is at equilibrium. It is thus a dimensionless number. It is inversely related to induction rate.

Newer anesthetics (such as desflurane) typically have smaller blood-gas partition coefficients than older ones (such as ether); these are preferred because they lead to faster onset of anesthesia and faster emergence from anesthesia once application of the anesthetic is stopped. If an anesthetic has a high coefficient, then a large amount of it will have to be taken up in the body's blood before being passed on to the fatty (lipid) tissues of the brain where it can exert its effect.

The potency of an anesthetic is associated with its lipid solubility which is measured by its oil/gas partition coefficient.