title: [Halogenated anesthetic vaporizers: importance of maintenance regulations].
abstract: We report a serious dysfunction of 19 halothane vaporisers Vapor 19.3 (Dräger) which delivered a much higher concentration of agent than indicated on the dial. This inaccuracy was linked to a major corrosion of the inner layers of the vaporiser, with a deposit of zinc bromide and chloride in the bypass channel. The main cause for this dysfunction was the absence of an adequate maintenance of the vaporisers since their purchase 3 years before.
authors.affiliation: Division d'anesthésiologie, hôpital universitaire, Genève.
authors.forename: C E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Klopfenstein
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Walder
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rohrbach
authors.forename: F X
authors.initials: FX
authors.lastname: Clergue
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Forster
mesh_terms: D000769:Anesthesia, Inhalation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000592:standards*; D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D001965:Bromides; D002712:Chlorides; D003343:Corrosion; D006221:Halothane; D008283:Maintenance / Q000592:standards; D009330:Nebulizers and Vaporizers / Q000592:standards*; D017967:Zinc Compounds
chemical_list: D018685:Anesthetics, Inhalation; D001965:Bromides; D002712:Chlorides; D017967:Zinc Compounds; C093802:zinc bromide; D006221:Halothane