• J C Otteni, J Ancellin, J B Cazalaà, and P Feiss.
• Service d'anesthésie-réanimation chirurgicale, hôpitaux universitaires de Strasbourg, hôpital de Hautepierrè, France.
• Ann Fr Anesth Reanim. 1999 Nov 1;18(9):976-86.

ObjectivesTo analyse the design, functioning, benefits and drawbacks of electronic fresh gas delivery units (FGDUs) included in anaesthetic machines marketed in France in 1999.Data SourcesArticles were obtained from a Medline review (1980-1999; search terms: anaesthetic machine, flowmeter, vaporizer), textbooks and personal files; specific data were also provided by manufacturers.Study Selection And Data ExtractionThe articles were analysed in considering the differences between mechanical and electronic FGDUs.Data SynthesisFour anaesthetic machines out of 11 are equipped with electronic FGDUs. In comparison to mechanical units, they include the following benefits: wide range of accurate gas flow, especially in the low flow range, with analog and digital display; intermittent delivery of each gas, which is essential for automated gas delivery and quantitative anaesthesia or target controlled (FET vapor) inhalational anaesthesia; facilitated oxygen ratio control; possibility to print the gas and vapor flows on the automated anaesthetic record; interruption of gas flow when the main switch of the machine is set to off; and absence of risk for retropollution. Three FGDUs out of four are adapted for gas delivery to an accessory (ancillary) anaesthetic circuit. However, only one of them delivers a gas flow up to 30 L.min-1. The specificity of the ADU AS/3 (Datex-Ohmeda) is the bypass vaporizer included in the FGDU with an exchangeable vaporizing chamber (cassette). The specificity of the Julian (Dräger) is the delivery of fresh gas limited to the expiratory phase during mechanical ventilation. The specificity of the the FGDU from Kion (Siemens) is the possibility to act as an open circuit ventilator, similar to a Servoventilator. The specificity of the PhysioFlex is an FGDU included in the circle circuit, each gas and liquid anaesthetic being directly injected into the circuit. Data from the French medical device surveillance commission indicate that the main failures occur in the power supply device and the microprocessor.

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