Objective: To assess the incidence and the causes of failures of anaesthesia machines.
Study design: Prospective survey from August 1995 to September 1997.
Material: Check-list and machine failure forms.
Methods: Failures of anaesthetic machines have been collected and entered into a database. Causes and treatment of each failure have been analysed.
Results: Of 5,096 foreseen forms, 3,926 (77%) have been completed after check-list or anaesthesia machine failure. Overall, 233 incidents have been declared (4.5%). Failures identified during the preoperative check-list (n = 96) were mainly related to mechanical problems, especially the gas proportioning device (35%). Perioperative failures (n = 137) were mostly related to electronic problems (ventilator: 27% and monitor: 57%). In more than half of the cases, a specially trained anaesthetic nurse was able to correct the failure in the operating theatre. Using 14 anaesthetic machines for 12 operating rooms, no procedure was cancelled because of a technical failure of a machine.
Conclusions: This study emphasizes the value of the check-list and the failure report. The presence of a specially trained anaesthetic nurse allows immediate correction of the majority of technical problems.