Breathing systems and ancillary equipment

Breathing systems are interposed between an anaesthetic machine and an endotracheal tube, facemask. They serve to: deliver oxygen and volatile anaesthetic agents from the anaesthetic machine to the patient; remove carbon dioxide exhaled by the patient and provide a means of ventilating the lungs. This chapters looks at the basic components of breathing systems and their function, names and classification of breathing systems, low-flow anaesthesia, leak testing of breathing systems, the common hazards and their maintenance, endotracheal tubes, facemasks, laryngoscopes, induction chambers and humidifiers.