Condensation

[stonemd]

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We have had an increase in water in the anesthesia machine. to the point that water is visible in the co2 absorbant, and in one case the absorbant dissolved then solidified. We are concerned about possible flow obstruction and increased bacterial load in the machine. We have aestiva machines and recently switched from coaxial circuit to 2 limb, we us filters at the insp and exp machine exits but no routine HME at the elbow.

Anyone seen this? If so How do deal with condensation in the mAchine? Would addition of HME reduce this?

 

[pgg]

HME = heat moisture exchange I assume? I wouldn't expect that to help.

 

[stonemd]

HME = heat moisture exchange I assume? I wouldn't expect that to help.

Idea is that water comes from exhalation and co2 absorbant.
So heat/moisture exchange device will hold onto some of the exhaled water vapor
Could increase fresh gas flow and reduce the co2 converted

Would we risk too dry absorbent and co, comp A?

 

[stonemd]

Do coaxial circuits somehow reduce condensation in the machine?

 

[jwk]

Is this a long standing problem, or has it started recently? Does it happen in all your machines or just one or two? What has changed recently?

 

[stonemd]

Noticed recently. In machines at campus with busy ORs, long cases. Recent changes have been to go to new inexpensive?thin walled 2 limb circuit unit replacing coaxial king circuit. We also have had a large turnover in anesthesia techs recently.

Know any tricks to keep the anesthesia machine moisture down to reasonable levels?

 

[norwood]

Would we risk too dry absorbent and co, comp A?

I'd always heard compound A was a pretty hypothetical concern. If you have a pt with particularly bad kidneys and are worried about it, you can always either boost your gas flows or use an agent other than sevo.

Too dry, from the standpoint of machine explosions, takes days of high flow dry gas through an unused machine. Usual setup for that problem involves 1st case of the week, on a machine that was left running all weekend with gas flows on high from the end of its last case. In that case, yeah, I'd replace the absorber.

 

[btbam]

Noticed recently. In machines at campus with busy ORs, long cases. Recent changes have been to go to new inexpensive?thin walled 2 limb circuit unit replacing coaxial king circuit. We also have had a large turnover in anesthesia techs recently.

Know any tricks to keep the anesthesia machine moisture down to reasonable levels?

Are people running low flows with the long cases?

 

[Orin]

Don't some of the Aestiva machines have a drain button that drops the moisture into the drain dish under the absorbers for easy emptying?