4 8 S U P P L E M E N T T O O U T P A T I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E J U LY 2 0 1 6
systems offer electronic as well as mechan-
ical gas flow controls and mixing capabili-
ties, with precision touchscreen displays
joining the traditional knobs and buttons.
"The advances that have really brought
the machines a long way are the graphics,
which are now LED with few moving
parts," says Perry V. Ruspantine, CRNA,
APRN, clinical compliance manager for
Anesthesia Professionals in Dartmouth,
Mass. "They're easy to operate and able to
perform checkouts quickly," providing, for
example, visual information on the amount
of oxygen required in the fresh gas flow, or
the checks and balances that ensure patient safety.
These graphical interfaces are the user-friendly face of a technology that is
now largely software-driven, an innovation that brings with it an increased flexi-
bility. Consider this: Anesthesia machines have traditionally been marketed with
a huge menu of optional functions and settings to serve every conceivable con-
tingency. But the traditional advice to those planning the purchase of an anes-
thesia machine has been to forgo the everything-but-the-kitchen-sink approach.
"You don't need the bells and whistles if you won't be using them," says Gary
Lawson, MD, an anesthesiologist at Adult & Children's Surgery Center of
Southwest Florida in Fort Myers.
No need to worry about missing out on something important, though. Dr.
Lawson notes that many of the latest options involve software, allowing post-
purchase upgrades if necessary. "Machines can be interrogated and updated just
like your iPhone," he says.
• DATA DISTRIBUTION Anesthesia machines that commu-
nicate with electronic medical records systems free up
providers to concentrate on patient care.
Pamela
Bevelhymer,
RN,
BSN