Annales françaises d'anesthèsie et de rèanimation
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To evaluate the success rate of intubation through the intubating laryngeal mask airway (LMA-Fastrach) in patients with predictive signs of difficult airway or after intubation failure. ⋯ The results of this study confirm that tracheal intubation through the intubating LMA can be recommended in patients with a difficult airway, whether foreseen or not.
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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Nov 1999
Review[Anesthetic equipment: fresh gas delivery systems. II. Electronic systems].
To analyse the design, functioning, benefits and drawbacks of electronic fresh gas delivery units (FGDUs) included in anaesthetic machines marketed in France in 1999. ⋯ Four 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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Ann Fr Anesth Reanim · Nov 1999
Review[Anesthesia equipment: fresh gas delivery systems. I. Mecanical systems with rotameters and calibrated vaporizers].
To analyse the design, performance, failures, the checking before use of mechanical fresh gas delivery units (FGDUs) equipped with bobbin or ball-flowmeters delivering a continuous gas flow and calibrated vaporizers, marketed in France in 1999. ⋯ Seven anaesthetic machines out of 11 are equipped with mechanical FGDUs, including rotameters delivering a gas mixture up to 30 L.min-1, calibrated vaporizers and an O2-flush valve delivering at least 500 mL O2 per second (30 L.min-1). These units allow closed circuit anaesthesia. They carry a risk for barotrauma as three out of them can deliver at the gas outlet of the FGDUs a gas mixture at a pressure reaching 3.5 bars and four others at a pressure of 150-200 mmHg. They also carry a risk for hypoxia, either from a preferential leak of oxygen at the corresponding rotameter or the O2-flush valve, or from a leak of fresh gas mixture either in a vaporizer or the selectatec manifold. The vaporizers carry a risk for vapor delivery at a concentration differing notably from the value set on the concentration dial. Therefore their accuracy must be checked periodically and the FGDUs checked for a leak after the addition to or the removal of a vaporizer from the selectatec manifold. The optimal technique for leak detection is the negative pressure test.
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To assess the incidence of the pinch-off syndrome (POS) in catheter fracture and embolism. ⋯ POS was the first cause of catheter embolism and should suggest the use of an alternative way for insertion instead of the subclavian access. When a catheter is inserted via a subclavian route, clinical and/or radiologic signs of POS require its removal.