12 Hour Evaluation of Filters to Prepare an Anesthesia Machine for Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptible Patients
Robert Stoker, M.D., Mathew Romankowski, M.D., Kyle M. Burk, No Degree, Joseph A. Orr, Ph.D.. Anesthesiology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Excerpt:
Introduction: Plastic and rubber components in the anesthesia machine absorb vapor from the previous anesthetic that is desorbed during the subsequent procedure. The concentration of anesthetic released from the machine has been shown to be high enough to trigger malignant hyperthermia in susceptible patients. Activated charcoal filters have been shown effective for preparation of an anesthesia machine for treatment of malignant hyperthermia-susceptible patients. Activated charcoal filters can capture only a finite amount of vapor before they become saturated. Once saturated, the vapor could pass through the filter to the patient. We were concerned that over the course of a long anesthetic, the cumulative amount of vapor released by an anesthesia machine could saturate the charcoal in the filters. We tested the ability of these filters to remove residual anesthetic from an anesthesia machine during a long (12 hour) test period.
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