Scavenging systems, capnography, CO2 absorption Flashcards
What is the definition of scavenging?
collection of excess gases from equipment used in the admin of anesthesia or exhaled by patients.
removal of these gases to an appropriate place of discharge outside working environment
What is the NIOSH recommended level of anesthetic gas alone in the OR?
2ppm
What is NIOSH recommended level of nitrous in the OR?
25ppm
What is the NIOSH recommended level of volatile anesthetic and nitrous in the OR?
0.5ppm
What are the 5 basic components of the scavenging system?
- gas collection assembly
- transfer means
- scavenging interface
- gas disposal tubing
- gas disposal assembly
What is the role of the gas collecting assembly?
captures excess gases at the site of emission and delivers them to the transfer means tubing
What is the size of the outlet tubing for the gas collecting assembly?
usually 30mm male (19mm on older machines)
What is the importance of the size of outlet tubing?
size of connections are important so that it doesnt connect to other components of the breathing system
Describe the role of the transfer means component?
conveys gas from gas collecting assembly to interface
What are some other common names of the transfer means component?
exhaust tubing or hose and transfer system
Describe the transfer means tubing.
usually female fitting connectors on both ends; tubing is short w/ large diameter; must be kink resistant; must have different characteristics from breathing tubes (ie colored coded yellow and more stiff)
Why does the transfer means tubing need to be short w/ large diameter?
to carry high gas flow w/o significant increase in pressure
What is the role of the scavenging interface?
prevents pressure increases or decreases in scavenging system from being transmitted to the breathing system
What are some other common names for the scavenging interface?
balancing valve; balancing device
The scavenging interface limits ___________, immediately downstream of the _____________to between ______________ and ____________
pressure
gas collecting assembly
-0.5 to 0.5cmH2O
What is the size of the scavenging interface?
inlet 30mm male
Where should the scavenging interface be situated?
as close to the gas collecting assembly as possible
What are the 3 basic elements of the scavenging interface?
- positive pressure relief
- negative pressure relief
- reservoir capacity
What is the importance of the positive pressure relief?
protects patient and equipment in case of occlusion
What is the importance of the negative pressure relief?
limits subatmospheric pressure
What is the importance of the reservoir capacity?
matches the intermittent gas flow from gas collecting assembly to the continuous flow of the disposal system
What are the 2 types of scavenging interface?
open and closed
T/F: The open interface has valves
false; no valves; it is open to atmosphere via holes in reservoir; avoid build up of neg or pos pressure
What does the open interface require?
requires use of central vacuum system and reservoir (open canister; size should allow for high waste gas flows)
How does the open interface work?
gas enters system at top of canister and travels through narrower innertube to base
T/F: the vacuum control valve can be adjusted
true: varies the level of suction on the canister/reservoir; must be greater than or equal to excess gas flow rate to prevent OR pollution
The closed interface is broken down into what type of systems?
positive pressure relief only or positive pressure and negative pressure relief
How does the positive pressure only closed interface work?
single positive pressure relief valve opens when a max pressure is reached and passive disposal
no vacuum used and no reservoir needed
How does the positive pressure & negative pressure relief closed interface work?
has both +/- pressure relief vavles w/ reservoir bag and gas is vented to the atmosphere when pressure exceeds 5cmH2O
for the closed interface w/ +/- pressure: what happens if the pressure falls below -0.5cm H2O?
room air is entrained
what happens if the primary negative pressure relief valve becomes occluded?
a backup negative pressure relief valve opens at -1.8cm H2O
What is the function of the gas disposal tubing?
it connects the scavenging interface to the disposal assembly
T/F: the gas disposal system should be long and thin?
false: short and wide because its a passive part of the system
How can you prevent the accidental occlusion/kinking of the disposal tubing?
by running the tubing overhead
What is the gas disposal assembly?
consists of components used to remove wastes from the OR
The gas disposal assembly is broken down into 2 types: what are the major differences?
active: mechanical flow inducing device that moves gases (produces neg pressure in disposal system; must have neg relief)
passive: pressure raised above atmospheric by patient exhalation, manual squeezing, or ventilator (needs pos pressure
What 3 ways does the passive system evacuate the waste gases?
- open window
- pipe passing thru outside wall
- extractor fan vented to outside air
What are the adv/disadv to passive system of gas disposal assembly?
adv: inexpensive, simple to operate
disadv: impractical in some buildings
How does the active system of gas disposal assembly function?
these systems connect the exhaust of the breathing system to hospital vacuum system via interface controlled needle valve
What are the adv/disadv of the active gas disposal assembly?
adv: convenient in large hospitals where many machines are used in diff locations
disadv: vacuum system and pipework is major expense; needle valve may need continual adjustment
T/F: the passive system of the gas disposal assembly is most commonly used in hospitals
false; active is
how do you perform a scavenging system check: 4 steps
- ensure proper connections btw scavenging system and both the APL valve and vent relief valve and waste gas vacuum
- fully open APL valve and occlude y piece
- with minimal O2 flow; allow scavenger reservoir bag to collapse completely and verify that pressure gauge read zero
- w/ O2 flush activated; allow scavenger bag to fully expand and then verify that the pressure gauge reads below 10cm H2O
T/F: capnography is the gold standard for confirmation of ETT placement?
true
What are some purposes of capnography?
confirm ETT placement; determine if patient is being ventilated; guide vent settings; detect abnormalities
T/F: there are some contraindications for using capnography
false: THERE ARE NO CONTRAINDICATIONS
What are some clinical uses of capnography?
estimate PaCO2 ( PaCO2 > PeCO2 by ~ 2-5mmHg); used to eval dead space
What methods are used to measure CO2 in expired gas?
colorimetric; infrared absorption spectrophotometry
how does colorimetric method work?
rapid assessment
uses metacresol purple impregnated paper which changes color in presence of acid
H2O + CO2= carbonic acid and paper changes color