Sections View Full Chapter Figures Tables Videos Full Chapter Figures Tables Videos Supplementary Content ++ Misuse of anesthesia gas delivery systems is three times more likely than failure of the device to cause equipment-related adverse outcomes. An operator’s lack of familiarity with the equipment or a failure to check machine function, or both, are the most frequent causes. These mishaps account for only about 2% of cases in the ASA Closed Claims Project database. The breathing circuit was the most common single source of injury (39%); nearly all damaging events were related to misconnects or disconnects. The anesthesia machine receives medical gases from a gas supply, controls the flow and reduces the pressure of desired gases to a safe level, vaporizes volatile anesthetics into the final gas mixture, and delivers the gases to a breathing circuit that is connected to the patient’s airway. A mechanical ventilator attaches to the breathing circuit but can be excluded with a switch during spontaneous or manual (bag) ventilation. Whereas the oxygen supply can pass directly to its flow control valve, nitrous oxide, air, and other gases must first pass through safety devices before reaching their respective flow control valves. These devices permit the flow of other gases only if there is sufficient oxygen pressure in the safety device and help prevent accidental delivery of a hypoxic mixture in the event of oxygen supply failure. Another safety feature of anesthesia machines is a linkage of the nitrous oxide gas flow to the oxygen gas flow; this arrangement helps ensure a minimum oxygen concentration of 25%. All modern vaporizers are agent specific and temperature corrected, capable of delivering a constant concentration of agent regardless of temperature changes or flow through the vaporizer. A rise in airway pressure may signal worsening pulmonary compliance, an increase in tidal volume, or an obstruction in the breathing circuit, tracheal tube, or the patient’s airway. A drop in pressure may indicate an improvement in compliance, a decrease in tidal volume, or a leak in the circuit. Traditionally ventilators on anesthesia machines have a double-circuit system design and are pneumatically powered and electronically controlled. Newer machines also incorporate microprocessor control that relies on sophisticated pressure and flow sensors. Some anesthesia machines have ventilators that use a single-circuit piston design. The major advantage of a piston ventilator is its ability to deliver accurate tidal volumes to patients with very poor lung compliance and to very small patients. Whenever a ventilator is used “disconnect alarms” must be passively activated. Anesthesia workstations should have at least three disconnect alarms: low pressure, low exhaled tidal volume, and low exhaled carbon dioxide. Because the ventilator’s spill valve is closed during inspiration, fresh gas flow from the machine’s common gas outlet normally contributes to the tidal volume delivered to the patient. Use of the oxygen flush valve during the inspiratory cycle of a ventilator must be avoided because the ventilator spill valve will be closed and the adjustable pressure-limiting (APL) valve is excluded; the surge of oxygen (600-1200 mL/s) and circuit pressure will be transferred to the patient’s lungs. Large ... Your MyAccess profile is currently affiliated with '[InstitutionA]' and is in the process of switching affiliations to '[InstitutionB]'. Please click ‘Continue’ to continue the affiliation switch, otherwise click ‘Cancel’ to cancel signing in. Get Free Access Through Your Institution Learn how to see if your library subscribes to McGraw Hill Medical products. Subscribe: Institutional or Individual Sign In Username Error: Please enter User Name Password Error: Please enter Password Forgot Username? Forgot Password? Sign in via OpenAthens Sign in via Shibboleth