FUNCTIONAL TESTS
NOTE: The failure of any one of the following
tests will require the analgesia unit to be
returned for service. These tests must be
conducted periodically to insure that your
analgesia unit is performing optimally (see
Figure 4).
1. Machine Turn-On Test – Check
Monthly
With gas source activated and mixture dial
set at 100%, turn the unit on by rotating the
flow control knob counter-clockwise. The ball
located in the oxygen flowmeter tube should
start to move up the tube within one (360)
rotation of the flow control valve.
2. 100% Oxygen Test – Check Monthly
Adjust mixture dial to 100% oxygen position
and rotate flow control valve until 10 LPM is
indicated on oxygen flowmeter tube.
Observe nitrous oxide tube and ball. The ball
may show some indication of motion but the
top of the ball must remain below the 1 LPM
mark on the tube.
3. Total Flow Test – Check Monthly
Adjust mixture dial to 50% oxygen position.
Adjust flow control until Oxygen and Nitrous
Oxide flowmeter tubes show approximately 5
LPM each gas.
Without further adjustment of flow control
knob and a total of 10 LPM, move mixture
dial through full travel. Total flow must be
within ½ LPM of 10 LPM through full travel.
(As indicated on the individual flow tubes.)
4. Failsafe Test – Check Before Each
Use
Turn off and disconnect from wall outlet
oxygen gas supply to MDM and observe that
nitrous oxide flowmeter float falls at same
rate as oxygen flowmeter float.
5. Oxygen Flush Test – Check Monthly
Depress and release oxygen flush button to
assure that breathing bag can be inflated.
6. Non-Rebreathing Valve Test –
Check Monthly
Blow into the breathing tube connector.
Exhaled air must not pass through breathing
connector.
7. Air Inlet Valve Test – Check Monthly
Temporarily plug breathing bag mount and
inhale through breathing tube connector.
Room air must enter through air inlet valve.
(Remove temporary plug).
Then temporarily plug the breathing tube
connector and blow into breathing bag port.
Exhaled air must not escape through air inlet
valve. (Remove temporary plug.)
BASIC DELIVERY TECHNIQUE:
Practice titration. Titration is a method of
administering a substance by adding definitive
amounts of a drug until an endpoint is reached.
For nitrous oxide / oxygen (N
2
O) / O
2
) sedation,
N
2
O is given in incremental doses until a patient
has reached a comfortable relaxed state of
sedation. The ability to titrate N
2
O is a
significant advantage because it limits the
amount of drug to that which is required by the
patient. If titration is done properly, the patient
does not receive any more of the drug than is
necessary. The amount of N
2
O required by a
patient on any given day or time varies.
For information on titration, a most valuable
resource for the practitioner is the Handbook of
Nitrous Oxide and Oxygen Sedation, written by
Clark and Brunswick and published by Mosby
(www.mosby.com). This text is a concise and
contemporary guide for nitrous oxide / oxygen
administration.
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