Machine Checkout and Quality Assurance

Many anesthesia-related adverse incidents involve the failure of anesthesia equipment and could potentially be prevented by proper checkout of the anesthesia workstation. Guidelines have been put forth by the American Society of Anesthesiologists along with other committees for conducting a thorough preanesthesia checkout. These are explained in detail. The guidelines are intended to be combined with manufacturer recommendations for an institution specific machine check. Equipment quality assurance including support and retirement is also discussed.