Inspired oxygen concentrations with or without an oxygen economizer during ether draw-over anaesthesia

An oxygen economizer tube is attached to draw-over vaporizers and acts as a reservoir of supplemental oxygen. The clinical importance of the presence or absence of the economizer tube (volume 130 ml) has not been adequately studied in manually ventilated patients using ether from an Ohmeda Cyprane Portable Anesthesia Complete (PAC) draw-over vaporizer. A total of sixteen patients ASA 1-2, undergoing elective surgery for peripheral orthopaedic procedures were studied with and without an economizer tube. Each patient acted as his or her own control. Standard procedures were used for anaesthetic induction with muscle relaxant, endotracheal intubation and anaesthetic maintenance. Supplemental oxygen was supplied by an oxygen concentrator. Using the draw-over vaporizer without an oxygen economizer tube, there was a slight increase in FiO2 of 20%, 23%, 27%, 30%, 33% and 33%, with increasing oxygen supplementation of 0 to 5 l/min, respectively. With an economizer tube, the FiO2 values increased to 20%, 26%, 35%, 46%, 54% and 66% at 0 to 5 l/min of oxygen respectively. The FiO2 values were significantly different at 3, 4, and 5 l/min (P < 0.05), showing the potential advantages of an oxygen economizer tube attached to a draw-over vaporizer in this setting. No significant differences were seen in the oxygen saturations of these healthy patients with or without an oxygen economizer.