[Clinical evaluation of low flow anesthesia machine ACOMA ACM-10]

We studied low flow anesthesia using ACOMA ACM-10 anesthesia machine in 39 patients undergoing elective surgery. Randomly, 29 patients were allocated to low flow anesthesia group and 10 patients were allocated to high flow anesthesia group. After the induction, anesthesia was maintained with 2 l.min-1 of oxygen, 4 l.min-1 of nitrous oxide and sevoflurane (high flow anesthesia). After 15 minutes of high flow anesthesia, the total gas flow was reduced to 300 ml.min-1 of oxygen, 300 ml.min-1 of nitrous oxide or reduced to 400 ml.min-1 of oxygen, 200 ml.min-1 of nitrous oxide in the low flow anesthesia group. In the high flow anesthesia group, the high flow was maintained. The inspiratory oxygen concentration was maintained during anesthesia more than 35% in the low flow group and 33% in the high flow group. The absolute humidity in the inspiratory gas and the soda lime temperature were significantly higher during low flow anesthesia. The sevoflurane consumption in the low flow anesthesia group was reduced to less than 1-8th that of high flow anesthesia group. In conclusion, we could perform low flow anesthesia safely and economically with the ACM-10 anesthesia machine.