682
Correspondence
Fig. 2.
Thomas’s Hospital and as far as I am aware it was also in use until 1965 in the Mekong Delta. Dr Ngyen Khac Minh, who is now in Mason City, Idaho, jointly ran a programme teaching nurse anaesthetists to use the E M 0 inhaler’ which was very successful at that time.
Reference 1. MACINTOSH,R.R. (1955) A plea for simplicity. British Medical Journal, 2. 1054-1057.
South West Thames Regional Health Authority, 40, Eastbourne Terrace, A.G. BROWN London, W23QR
A modifled mask for ‘open’ether The administration of inhalational anaesthesia by the ‘open’ technique still has a place, especially in developing countries where sophisticated equipment may not be available. but nonetheless the technique may give rise to problems. and hypoxia, hypercarbia and aspiration of secretions or vomit are everpresent hazards. We wish suggest the use of a simply modified Yankauer’s face mask to minimise these complications. The apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. It consists of a plastic catheter (A) which is introduced through the nasal end of the mask by enlarging the mesh at one point. The proximal end of the catheter is securely curled within the mask and has multiple holes; the distal end of the catheter may be connected to the oxygen supply. which should flow at the rate
of 2 litres/min. A piece of plastic tube with a regulator (from a disposable drip set) is incorporated in one of the meshes of the mask (B) and serves as an outlet if this is necessary; it is kept open or may be opened from time-to-time to allow carbon dioxide and surplus gases to escape. The nasal half of the mask (c) is covered with transparent plastic to allow observation of secretions, etc. and the lower half @) is covered by gauze onto which ether or other volatile agents can be poured safely since it is well away from the patient’s eyes. The mask has proved most satisfactorily in our hands. University Medical College, Rohtak (Haryana), India
C.V. SINGH G.L. KAMRA
Correspondence
Fig. 2.
Thomas’s Hospital and as far as I am aware it was also in use until 1965 in the Mekong Delta. Dr Ngyen Khac Minh, who is now in Mason City, Idaho, jointly ran a programme teaching nurse anaesthetists to use the E M 0 inhaler’ which was very successful at that time.
Reference 1. MACINTOSH,R.R. (1955) A plea for simplicity. British Medical Journal, 2. 1054-1057.
South West Thames Regional Health Authority, 40, Eastbourne Terrace, A.G. BROWN London, W23QR
A modifled mask for ‘open’ether The administration of inhalational anaesthesia by the ‘open’ technique still has a place, especially in developing countries where sophisticated equipment may not be available. but nonetheless the technique may give rise to problems. and hypoxia, hypercarbia and aspiration of secretions or vomit are everpresent hazards. We wish suggest the use of a simply modified Yankauer’s face mask to minimise these complications. The apparatus is shown in Fig. 1. It consists of a plastic catheter (A) which is introduced through the nasal end of the mask by enlarging the mesh at one point. The proximal end of the catheter is securely curled within the mask and has multiple holes; the distal end of the catheter may be connected to the oxygen supply. which should flow at the rate
of 2 litres/min. A piece of plastic tube with a regulator (from a disposable drip set) is incorporated in one of the meshes of the mask (B) and serves as an outlet if this is necessary; it is kept open or may be opened from time-to-time to allow carbon dioxide and surplus gases to escape. The nasal half of the mask (c) is covered with transparent plastic to allow observation of secretions, etc. and the lower half @) is covered by gauze onto which ether or other volatile agents can be poured safely since it is well away from the patient’s eyes. The mask has proved most satisfactorily in our hands. University Medical College, Rohtak (Haryana), India
C.V. SINGH G.L. KAMRA
