Vaporizers
KEYWORDS vaporizer types vaporizer safety features Vaporizers are one of our interfaces with the anesthesia machine. We continually adjust them throughout each case we do. But do we really…
Carbon Dioxide Absorber
KEYWORDS CO2 absorption carbon dioxide absorption efficiency Compound A carbon monoxide The hallmark of a circle anesthesia circuit is rebreathing. Of course, a circle circuit is not a true…
Warming Devices and Temperature Monitoring
KEYWORDS temperature monitoring heat loss mechanisms warming devices types of warming devices efficacy of warming devices complications of warming devices blood warmers Perioperative patient temperature changes are a “hot”…
Hemodynamic Monitoring
KEYWORDS pressure transducers: resonance damping noninvasive blood pressure measurement oscillometry The frequent measurement of a patient’s arterial blood pressure (BP) is standard care in anesthesia. The guidelines state that…
Fail-Safe Systems
KEYWORDS medical gas cylinders alarm and safety features: anesthesia machine proportioning devices pressure fail-safe A “fail-safe” is a system or device that limits damage or harm. For instance, on…
Capnography and Gas Monitoring
KEYWORDS instrumentation gas concentrations infrared absorption mass spectrometry Raman scatter analysis monitoring methods gas concentrations oxygen nitrogen carbon dioxide anesthetic gases and vapors How comfortable would you be not…
Flowmeters and the Low-Pressure System
KEYWORDS flowmeters rotameter laminar-turbulent flow rotameter configuration Similar to vaporizers, flowmeters are one of our interfaces with the anesthesia machine. Here is something that we can actually see in…
Electricity and Electrical Safety in the Operating Room
KEYWORDS alarms and safety features operating rooms electrical grounding isolation transformers basic electronics macro and micro current hazards As we all know, electrical equipment is a big part of…
Scavenger System
KEYWORDS waste gas evacuation systems trace concentrations operating room pollution personnel hazards Let’s say you are performing an anesthetic. You have the fresh gas flow (FGF) at 2 L/min….
Anesthesia Machine Checkout
KEYWORDS design and ergonomics of anesthesia machines anesthesia machine safety features ventilators oxygen ASA monitoring standards In the recent past, it was easier to perform a preanesthetic checkout on…
