Abstract
GE Healthcare welcomes the opportunity to respond to Drs Jadhav, Rae and Edgar about the damaged flow sensor they are highlighting. The Flow sensor 1503-3855-000 is used on the Excel 210 with a stand-alone 7900 ventilator and GMS Absorber. This anaesthetic machine combination was first manufactured in the early 1990s. There are many Excel 210 machines with 7900 stand ventilators still in use today. The Excel 210/7900 set up allows the absorber to be mounted on the right- or left-hand side of the anaesthetic machine; the flow sensors are connected to the absorber and then connected to the ventilator via an interface connection on the anaesthetic machine. The flow sensor 1503-3855-000 is part of pair and they are used to provide clinicians with valuable tidal volume as well as inspiratory and expiratory pressure measurements, which are then displayed on the ventilator screen. GE Healthcare has not been contacted or had the opportunity to inspect or review the faulty flow sensor; it is therefore difficult for us to comment on this particular issue. In GE Healthcare’s experience the damaged flow sensor highlighted in Figure 2 would cause the sensor to fail. This failure would manifest itself in a few ways. When completing the Excel 210/7900 pre-use check it would fail the manual pressure check and when testing the ventilator in mechanical ventilation the values displayed on the ventilator screen would be inaccurate and show inconsistent tidal volume measurements. If the flow sensor was physically damaged during a procedure this would be highlighted with inaccurate tidal volume readings and with a leak detected via the airway pressure gauge. The visible bellows on the absorber would also give a visual indication that there was a leak present in the circuit. The user manual would suggest to the user replacing the flow sensors to allow the machine to pass its pre-use checks. The user manual would also suggest replacing the flow sensors in conjunction with other actions if a leak was detected during a procedure. The manufacturer’s recommendation is to replace flow sensors at 3-month intervals, when pressure testing fails or following inconsistent tidal volume readings. Anaesthetic machines are now complex items of life support equipment, and as such the anaesthetist should use the manufacturer’s guidelines in conjunction with the AAGBI guidelines on how to check the anaesthetic machine.
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