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Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain 2006 6(2):75-78; doi:10.1093/bjaceaccp/mkl003
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Continuing Education in Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain | Volume 6 Number 2 2006 © The Board of Management and Trustees of the British Journal of Anaesthesia [2006]. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Modern anaesthetic machines

Colin M Sinclair, MB, ChB FRCA
Specialist Registrar in Anaesthetics, Royal Hallamshire Hospital Glossop Road, Sheffield S10 2JF, UK

Muthu K Thadsad, MB, ChB FRCA
Specialist Registrar in Anaesthetics, Sheffield Children's Hospital Western Bank, Sheffield S10, UK

Ian Barker, MB, ChB FRCA
Consultant Anaesthetist, Sheffield Children's Hospital Western Bank, Sheffield S10, UK Tel: 0114 2717000 E-mail: i.barker@sheffield.ac.uk (for correspondence)
The first 150 words of the full text of this article appear below.


Key points

Modern anaesthetic machines retain the essential elements of the original Boyle's concept.

Safety specifications have ensured standardization of features between different makes of machine.

Anaesthetic hazards attributable to machine faults may be reduced by pre-use checks and regular maintenance.

Anaesthetists should be familiar with the safety features of anaesthetic machines that prevent harm to patients and staff.

Computer-controlled anaesthesia systems are becoming more common.

 

Anaesthetic machines dispense a mixture of gases and vapours in varying proportions to control a patient's level of consciousness, analgesia, or both during surgical procedures. The machine performs four essential functions: (i) provides oxygen; (ii) accurately mixes anaesthetic gases and vapours; (iii) enables patient ventilation; and (iv) minimizes anaesthesia-related risks to patients and staff.


   History
 
Coxeters built HEG Boyle's original machine in 1917 under the direction of Lord George Wellesley (great-grandson of the first Duke of Wellington).1 It was a modification of the American Gwathmey . . . [Full Text of this Article]


   The modern anaesthetic machine
 
Gas supplies2

Piped gas supply

Cylinders

Pressure regulators

Gas flow measurement and control2

Hypoxic mixture prevention devices

Vaporizers2

Gas delivery—breathing systems and ventilators2

Breathing systems

Adjustable pressure limiting valve

Ventilators

Scavenging2

Monitoring


   Conclusion
 

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