Anesthetic Equipment and Safety Flashcards

Which agent is used in a soda lime CO2 absorber and can degrade sevoflurane to produce the nephrotoxic compound Compound A?

Answer: Sodium hydroxide

Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in soda lime reacts with sevoflurane to produce Compound A (fluoromethyl-2,2-difluoro-1-trifluoromethylvinyl ether).

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?

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.

What color is the oxygen pipeline hose and wall outlet in the United States medical gas standard?

Answer: Green

In the US (NFPA 99 standard), oxygen pipeline systems and outlets are color-coded green.

The fail-safe valve on an anesthesia machine is designed to prevent delivery of a hypoxic mixture by:

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.

A circle breathing system with a CO2 absorber becomes exhausted. Which clinical sign would appear first?

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.

Which safety feature specifically prevents filling a vaporizer with the wrong volatile agent?

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.