Anesthesia Machines/Equipment

[Doctor4Life1769]

Anyone have a good resource for this? I'm terribly confused and everything I read sounds like a foreign language. Or, if anyone is able to break it down into "things to know" on here or by PM that'd be great. Thanks for the help in advance!

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[RussianJoo]

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Anesthesia-Equipment-Jerry-Dorsch/dp/0683304879

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

http://www.amazon.com/Understanding-Anesthesia-Equipment-Jerry-Dorsch/dp/0683304879

~ 1100pg book?

I've already got a few textbooks I need to cover.

I was hoping for something more concise and still enough detail to understand.

 

[RussianJoo]

the equipment chapter of the M&M book, or baby miller book or any text book. maybe the manuals to your anesthesia machines? but that book is a great read.

 

[deleted9493]

I'm not sure what specifically you are having conceptual difficulty with, but I found studying this simulator a good place to start when I was a CA-1: http://vam.anest.ufl.edu/ You'll have to create a login but the basic machine module is free.

Once you understand the basic circuitry, I think it's easier to move into more depth re: check valves and bellows etc. Clinical Anesthesiology by Morgan and Mikhail for being an introductory textbook is detailed in its description/illustration of anesthesia equipment.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

I'll check it out.

I'm just confused about the PISS and DISS and the way the equipment works in general. The bellows and all. I read thru baby miller but was still confused. it's the one chapter in M&M i've not gone thru yet. I checked out an alternative book and it left me even more confused but at least the pics and tables were pretty sweet. I'll look into M&M if it's really good in its explanations.

I guess I just wonder what i need to know from all that.

 

[btbam]

I'll check it out.

I'm just confused about the PISS and DISS and the way the equipment works in general. The bellows and all. I read thru baby miller but was still confused. it's the one chapter in M&M i've not gone thru yet. I checked out an alternative book and it left me even more confused but at least the pics and tables were pretty sweet. I'll look into M&M if it's really good in its explanations.

I guess I just wonder what i need to know from all that.

The machines now are so complicated that if it's anything beyond an obvious fix (O2 analyzer, audible circuit leak) we just call biomed engineering. 30-40 years ago the machines were way simpler and I imagine it was more important for the anesthesiologist to be able to troubleshoot the machines vs. having to call for someone.

 

[RxBoy]

The machines now are so complicated that if it's anything beyond an obvious fix (O2 analyzer, audible circuit leak) we just call biomed engineering. 30-40 years ago the machines were way simpler and I imagine it was more important for the anesthesiologist to be able to troubleshoot the machines vs. having to call for someone.

in England, its common for anesthesiologists to dissemble and reassemble their anesthesia machines during training.

 

[Doctor4Life1769]

Yeah, we have a few who trained in England here and they're rockstars. They know everything about the machine. Unfortunately, I can't seem to compute so I ask them frequently.

In general, I call the techs and engineers often, too.

 

[jwk]

~ 1100pg book?

I've already got a few textbooks I need to cover.

I was hoping for something more concise and still enough detail to understand.

Ah, good old Dorsch and Dorsch - that classic has been around more than 30 years and obviously is still worthwhile. My copy from the late 70's is probably 300 pages, if that. My how things change.

 

[anesthesia nerd]

What actually reduces the pressure from the intermediate pressure system at 50 - 55 psi to the low pressure system at 14 - 26 psi?

 

[pgg]

What actually reduces the pressure from the intermediate pressure system at 50 - 55 psi to the low pressure system at 14 - 26 psi?

Some machines have a discrete 2nd stage pressure regulator (the 1st stage regulator is between the high pressure cylinders and the intermediate pressure zone fed by the wall connection).

Some machines the individual flow meters get wall pressure (ie the intermediate zone ends at the flow meters).

Lots of books and web sites with schematics out there.

 

[anesthesia nerd]

Thanks for posting a response!
The flow meters are variable orifice, constant pressure flowmeters. That must mean that the actual flow valve that you adjust with the flow control knob changing the flow from the 50 - 55 psi intermediate system pressure to the low pressure system pressure of 14-26 psi if there is not a second stage regulator., I'm assuming???