long-term exposure can also cause health issues.
Some of the newer machines let you instantaneously and briefly
pause all flows. This allows intubation, positioning and suctioning of
the airway to occur without OR contamination. To safeguard the
patient, the machines turn the flow back on if the provider doesn't do
so within 1 minute.
6. User-friendly features
Anesthesia machines that interface with electronic medical records
are great during critical cases when providers might not have the
time to immediately document vital signs. The latest machines are
also designed with flat surfaces, flat buttons instead of knobs and
dials, and contained cords to make wiping down and cleaning the
unit between cases a breeze.
New machines also assist the patient's spontaneous ventilation.
Machines help the patient safely breathe spontaneously through an
LMA or endotracheal tube during a time when they would hypoventi-
late if they were allowed to breathe on their own. This feature can be
very helpful at the beginning or end of a case, when the provider is
preparing medications, positioning the patient and adjusting monitors.
It lets providers prepare their workstations, helps avoid delays and
allows for smoother transitions between cases.
OSM
5 2 • O U T PA T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E • J U L Y 2 0 1 8
Dr. Whitten (christine.e.whitten@kp.org) is an anesthesiologist affiliated with
Kaiser Permanente San Diego (Calif.) Medical Center. She's the author of Anyone
Can Intubate: A Step-by-Step Guide and Pediatric Airway Management: A Step-by-
Step Guide. Check out her blog at airwayjedi.com.
