Mismatched connections

Anaesth Intensive Care. 2008 Jul:36 Suppl 1:19-22. doi: 10.1177/0310057X0803601s04.

Abstract

Historically, anaesthetic equipment manufacturers used a number of differently-sized connectors in anaesthetic breathing systems. This gave rise to the potentially dangerous possibility of mismatched taper connections and a failure to create a gas-tight breathing system capable of ventilating a patient. The British Standard 3849 of 1965 attempted to correct this problem but manufacturers' designs, in some cases, still caused problems. The problem was aggravated by a move to adopt a slightly different International Standards Organisation design. By the time that universally-interchangeable connectors were widespread twenty years later disposable breathing systems had replaced the old, heavy metal connectors.

Publication types

  • Historical Article

MeSH terms

  • Anesthesia, Inhalation / history
  • Anesthesia, Inhalation / instrumentation
  • Anesthesia, Inhalation / standards*
  • Anesthesiology / history
  • Anesthesiology / instrumentation
  • Anesthesiology / standards*
  • Equipment Failure
  • History, 20th Century
  • Humans
  • International Cooperation