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. 2011 Feb;60(2):75-7.
doi: 10.4097/kjae.2011.60.2.75. Epub 2011 Feb 25.

The effect of low fresh gas flow rate on sevoflurane consumption

Ho-Geol Ryu  1 , Ji-Hyun Lee, Kyung-Ku Lee, Nam-Su Gil, Chong Soo Kim, Sung-Eun Sim, Sang Chul Lee, Seong-Won Min
Affiliations

The effect of low fresh gas flow rate on sevoflurane consumption

Ho-Geol Ryu et al. Korean J Anesthesiol. 2011 Feb.

Abstract

Background: In an era of medical cost containment, cost-effectiveness has become a major focus in healthcare. The effect of a new policy on the use of low fresh gas flow during maintenance of general anesthesia with volatile anesthetics was evaluated.

Methods: The numbers and duration of general anesthesia cases using sevoflurane 5 weeks prior to and 15 weeks after policy implementation were retrieved from the electronic medical records database. The number of sevoflurane bottles consumed was also assessed. The anesthesia hours per bottle of sevoflurane were compared before and after policy implementation.

Results: The number of anesthesia hours performed per bottle of sevoflurane increased by 38.3%. The effect varied over time and tended to fade with time.

Conclusions: The implementation of a low fresh gas flow rate policy effectively reduces the amount of sevoflurane consumed for the same duration of anesthesia.

Keywords: Anesthetic consumption; Cost-effectiveness; Low-flow anesthesia; Volatile anesthetics.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Anesthesia hours per bottle of sevoflurane
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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