Final answer:
Methoxyflurane is limited in use due to its nephrotoxic effect, which can cause kidney damage. It's part of a class of anesthetics that have replaced the flammable and nauseating diethyl ether but come with their own side effects. Safety considerations have steered modern anesthetic usage towards agents with fewer health risks to patients and operating room personnel.
Step-by-step explanation:
The major side effect of methoxyflurane that limits its use is nephrotoxicity, which means it can cause damage to the kidneys. This content loaded methoxyflurane has been largely replaced by other inhalant anesthetics like desflurane, isoflurane and sevoflurane which are less flammable and carry fewer undesirable side effects. Unlike diethyl ether which was used in the past due to its wide therapeutic range despite being highly flammable and causing nausea, modern anesthetics aim to be safer in terms of both physiologic effects and safety for operating room personnel.
Other side effects (SE) of inhaled anesthetics can include respiratory irritation, and in the case of halothane, a concern for operating room workers' reproductive health has been noted. While methoxyflurane is not as commonly used today, understanding the properties and risks of all anesthetic agents remains crucial for the safe administration during surgical procedures.