JOURNAL HOME CME HOME THIS MONTH PAST ISSUES ETOC COLLECTIONS
AUTHORS REVIEWERS EDITORIAL BOARD FEEDBACK RSS HELP
A&A International Anesthesia Research Society
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

Anesth Analg 1977; 56:769-774
© 1977 International Anesthesia Research Society
This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a colleague
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by LECKY, J. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by LECKY, J. H.

The Mechanical Aspects of Anesthetic Pollution Control

JOHN H. LECKY, MD*

*Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104.

Abstract

Reduction of anesthetic contamination in the operating room requires removal of excess circuit gases (scavenging), elimination of anesthetic equipment leakage, and avoidance of anesthetic technics which allow unopposed spill of gas into the operating room.

Scavenging and disposal of excess anesthetic gases can present hazards to the patient; means to protect the breathing circuit from elevated positive and negative pressures should be of prime consideration in selecting a scavenging system. Leakage from anesthetic equipment occurs in the high-pressure (central and tank N2O sources to the machine flowmeters) and the low-pressure portions (from the machine flowmeters to the patient) of the system and can be of sufficient magnitude to virtually negate effective scavenging. These leakage points can be readily detected and corrected using periodic simple test procedures.

Key Words: ANESTHETICS, gases, trace concentrations • ANESTHETICS, volatile, trace concentrations • EQUIPMENT, exhaust systems • OPERATING ROOMS, exhaust systems






Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins Anesthesia & Analgesia® is published for the International Anesthesia Research Society® by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins with the assistance of Stanford University Libraries' HighWire Press®. Copyright 2006 by the International Anesthesia Research Society. Online ISSN: 1526-7598   Print ISSN: 0003-2999 HighWire Press
Copyright © 1977 by the International Anesthesia Research Society.