title: To do or not to do a preinduction check-up of the anesthesia machine.
abstract: The anesthesia machine check is an integral part of the anesthesiologist's daily routine. It is standard operating procedure to check the high- and low-pressure systems of the machine as well as other integral parts that are accessible. Many new anesthesia machines offer a self-testing capability, but older ones with fewer electronics on board are still widely used. Whether the machines self test or not, each machine contains a CO2 absorber and a circuit that may be prone to problems. In our case we encountered an open CO2 absorber after a service of the machine had been performed between the cases without our knowledge. We were unable to ventilate the patient during induction. The presence of a backup self-filling manual ventilation bag was invaluable in preventing an otherwise inevitable emergency.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Saint Louis University, St. Louis, Missouri.
authors.forename: Stefan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Ianchulev
authors.forename: Mark E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Comunale
mesh_terms: D000042:Absorption; D000768:Anesthesia, General; D000776:Anesthesiology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000737:chemistry; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006554:Hernia, Umbilical / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012121:Respiration, Artificial
chemical_list: D002245:Carbon Dioxide