Anaes Vivas · Volatile & inhalational agents
Equipment viva — the vaporiser
An equipment viva on the vaporiser — the principle (saturating a fraction of the fresh gas with agent vapour at a known concentration, then diluting), the temperature compensation of the plenum vaporiser, and why desflurane needs a heated pressurised vaporiser (its high saturated vapour pressure near atmospheric).
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ANZCAFRCAABAEDAIC
Prompt
A plenum variable-bypass vaporiser for sevoflurane mounted on the anaesthetic machine, alongside a heated, pressurised vaporiser for desflurane.
Stimulus
A plenum variable-bypass vaporiser for sevoflurane and a separate electrically heated, pressurised vaporiser for desflurane, both on the anaesthetic machine. Describe how a vaporiser delivers a known concentration, how it compensates for the cooling of vaporisation, and why desflurane needs a different design.
References1ShowHide
- [1]Bersten AD, Soni N (eds) Oh's Intensive Care Manual. 8th edition, Elsevier, 2018.