EDAIC Anesthetic Equipment and Safety 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which agent is used in a soda lime CO2 absorber and can degrade sevoflurane to produce the nephrotoxic compound Compound A?
- Calcium hydroxide
- Sodium hydroxide (Correct answer)
- Barium hydroxide
- Potassium hydroxide
Correct answer: Sodium hydroxide
Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in soda lime reacts with sevoflurane to produce Compound A (fluoromethyl-2,2-difluoro-1-trifluoromethylvinyl ether).
Question 2: On a variable-bypass vaporizer, increasing the temperature of the operating room will have what effect on vapor output concentration if the dial remains unchanged?
- Concentration increases
- Concentration decreases
- Concentration remains stable due to temperature compensation (Correct answer)
- Concentration fluctuates unpredictably
Correct answer: Concentration remains stable due to temperature compensation
Variable-bypass vaporizers incorporate bimetallic strip temperature-compensating mechanisms that maintain a constant output concentration despite ambient temperature changes.
Question 3: What color is the oxygen pipeline hose and wall outlet in the United States medical gas standard?
- Blue
- Green (Correct answer)
- Yellow
- White
Correct answer: Green
In the US (NFPA 99 standard), oxygen pipeline systems and outlets are color-coded green.
Question 4: The fail-safe valve on an anesthesia machine is designed to prevent delivery of a hypoxic mixture by:
- Limiting the maximum flow of nitrous oxide
- Cutting off nitrous oxide flow if oxygen pressure falls below threshold (Correct answer)
- Alarming when FiO2 drops below 0.21
- Mixing gases proportionally regardless of supply pressure
Correct answer: Cutting off nitrous oxide flow if oxygen pressure falls below threshold
The fail-safe (pressure-sensor shutoff) valve closes the nitrous oxide supply when oxygen pipeline pressure falls below a set threshold, preventing hypoxic gas delivery.
Question 5: A circle breathing system with a CO2 absorber becomes exhausted. Which clinical sign would appear first?
- SpO2 decrease
- Increase in end-tidal CO2 (Correct answer)
- Increase in peak airway pressure
- Change in breathing circuit color
Correct answer: Increase in end-tidal CO2
Exhausted CO2 absorbent allows CO2 rebreathing, causing the first detectable sign of a rising end-tidal CO2 on capnography.
Question 6: Which safety feature specifically prevents filling a vaporizer with the wrong volatile agent?
- Pin index safety system
- Diameter index safety system
- Agent-specific filling (Quik-Fil) system (Correct answer)
- Fail-safe valve
Correct answer: Agent-specific filling (Quik-Fil) system
Agent-specific keyed filling systems (e.g., Quik-Fil/Selectatec) use unique, non-interchangeable connectors for each volatile agent bottle to prevent misfilling.
EDAIC Anesthetic Equipment and Safety 2
Which agent is used in a soda lime CO2 absorber and can degrade sevoflurane to produce the nephrotoxic compound Compound A?