Increase in the use of rebreathing gas flow systems and in the utilization of low fresh gas flows in Finnish anaesthetic practice from 1995 to 2002

Abstract

The use of rebreathing systems together with low fresh gas flows saves anaesthetic gases, reduces the costs of anaesthesia, causes less environmental and ergonomic adverse effects, i.e. less air contamination in the operating room, and has favourable physiological effects. We assessed whether the use of non-rebreathing vs. rebreathing gas flow systems and high vs. lower fresh gas flows has changed during recent years. The use of rebreathing and non-rebreathing systems and the utilization of fresh gas flows were evaluated by sending a questionnaire to the heads of anaesthesia departments at all public health care hospitals in Finland in 1996 and 2003. The data was gathered from the previous years 1995 and 2002, respectively. The use of rebreathing systems increased from 62% to 83% of all instances of general anaesthesia (P < 0.001). In rebreathing gas flow systems, there was a significant shift from high fresh gas flows (3 l min(-1) and more) towards lower fresh gas flows (between 1 to 2 l min(-1) and even below 1 l min(-1)) (P < 0.001). The benefits of low fresh gas flows have now been achieved in most instances of rebreathing system anaesthesia, which was not the case in 1995.