[The breakdown of anesthesia equipment survey].
OBJECTIVE
To assess the incidence and the causes of failures of anaesthesia machines.


METHODS
Prospective survey from August 1995 to September 1997.


METHODS
Check-list and machine failure forms.


METHODS
Failures of anaesthetic machines have been collected and entered into a database. Causes and treatment of each failure have been analysed.


RESULTS
Of 5,096 foreseen forms, 3,926 (77%) have been completed after check-list or anaesthesia machine failure. Overall, 233 incidents have been declared (4.5%). Failures identified during the preoperative check-list (n = 96) were mainly related to mechanical problems, especially the gas proportioning device (35%). Perioperative failures (n = 137) were mostly related to electronic problems (ventilator: 27% and monitor: 57%). In more than half of the cases, a specially trained anaesthetic nurse was able to correct the failure in the operating theatre. Using 14 anaesthetic machines for 12 operating rooms, no procedure was cancelled because of a technical failure of a machine.


CONCLUSIONS
This study emphasizes the value of the check-list and the failure report. The presence of a specially trained anaesthetic nurse allows immediate correction of the majority of technical problems.
Bourgain
J L
JL
Service d'anesthésie, institut Gustave-Roussy, Villejuif, France.
Baguenard
P
P
Puizillout
J M
JM
Ankri
J C
JC
Damia
E
E
Billard
V
V
D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004581:Electronics; D004868:Equipment Failure / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000295:instrumentation