Pipeline Source Failure

Case Synopsis

It is the first day of operation of the hospital’s new outpatient surgery wing. The anesthesiologist reports to work looking forward to a day of easy cases consisting of healthy American Society of Anesthesiologists class I outpatients. During the first case, however, a tiny chirp is heard, accompanied by an advisory stating that the oxygen (O ₂ ) supply is low. Several seconds later, the anesthesiologist notices that the ventilator bellows is not filling, the comforting sound of the cycling ventilator is absent, and a cacophony of alarms is sounding, including apnea pressure and volume alarms and minute volume alarms.