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Biomedical subjects

E A J Morris

Publications and source records attributed to E A J Morris.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Checking the capnograph before anaesthesia: a survey of national practice in the UK.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Recently published guidelines for checking anaesthetic equipment do not contain specific advice on how to check the correct functioning of the capnograph before inducing anaesthesia. METHODS: We undertook a postal survey of UK consultant (physician) anaesthetists to establish what methods for checking the capnograph are currently in use. Two hundred and two questionnaires were sent to consultants in different hospitals and 163 returned, a response rate of 81%. RESULTS: 52.1% consultants of check the capnograph themselves. Of these, 55.3% use their own expired breath to confirm a response to carbon dioxide. Other methods used by consultant anaesthetists to check capnograph function include the machine self-test (16.5%), visual checks of the capnograph and sampling tubing (10.3%), and sampling of patient expired carbon dioxide (7.1%). CONCLUSION: The most common method for testing capnograph function among consultant anaesthetists and their assistants in the UK is the direct measurement of exhaled breath.

Anesthesia↗
PubMed2003

100% inspired oxygen from a Hudson mask-a realistic goal?

BACKGROUND: The administration of oxygen at a high-inspired concentration is often required in medicine, particularly in resuscitation of critically ill patients. However, there is a lack of evidence-based guidance on how to achieve this using currently available apparatus. The aim of this study was to assess how maximum inspired oxygen concentrations can be delivered using existing equipment. METHODS: Ten healthy female volunteers breathed oxygen through two types of Hudson non-rebreathing mask with reservoir bag, one with a safety vent in the mask body and the other with a valve replacing this safety vent (3-valve mask). Oxygen flow was adjusted to either 10 or 15 l min(-1) and the masks were fitted to the face either loosely or tightly. The expired oxygen concentration was measured using an oxygen analyzer. FINDINGS: By using the Hudson non-rebreathing mask with three valves, increasing the oxygen flow to 15 l min(-1), and fitting the mask tightly to the face the average expired oxygen fraction could be raised to 0.85. This equates to an average inspired oxygen fraction of 0.97 in these subjects. INTERPRETATION: The three simple measures mentioned above result in a significant improvement in the performance of the Hudson non-rebreathing mask. Together they allow the delivery of an inspired oxygen concentration close to maximum.

Adult↗