Anesthesia Machine Checkout List

ANESTHESIA MACHINE CHECKOUT LIST

Misuse or malfunction of anesthesia gas delivery equipment can cause major morbidity or mortality. A routine inspection of anesthesia equipment before each use increases operator familiarityand confirms proper functioning. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made available a generic checkout procedure for anesthesia gasmachines and breathing systems (Table 4–4). This procedure should be modified as necessary, depend-ing on the specific equipment being used and the manufacturer’s recommendations. Note that although the entire checkout does not need to be repeated between cases on the same day, the conscientious use of a checkout list is mandatory before each anesthetic procedure. A mandatory check-off procedure increases the likelihood of detecting anesthesia machine faults. Some anesthesia machines provide an automated system check that requires a variable amount of human intervention. These system checks may include nitrous oxide delivery (hypoxic mixture prevention), agent delivery, mechanical and manual ventilation, pipeline pressures, scavenging, breathing circuit compliance, and gas leakage.