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Mechanical obstruction in the anaesthesia delivery‐system mimicking severe bronchospasm
Author(s) -
Aarhus D.,
Søreide E.,
HolstLarsen H.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
anaesthesia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.839
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1365-2044
pISSN - 0003-2409
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2044.1997.217-az0351.x
Subject(s) - bronchospasm , medicine , troubleshooting , anesthesia , complication , mechanical ventilation , surgery , intensive care medicine , asthma , engineering , reliability engineering
We present a case where mechanical obstruction in the anaesthesia delivery system caused by plastic wrapping from a filter was misinterpreted as severe bronchospasm. The patient suffered severe hypoxia before the problem was solved by using a free‐standing self‐expanding ventilation bag. This near‐fatal incident emphasises the importance of thorough equipment checking routines, rapid troubleshooting and how equipment failure may be misinterpreted as a medical complication. It also shows how transparent container material can become a medical hazard.