Friday, August 13, 2010

attitude

this cannister is part of an elaborate anaesthetic machine used to provide anaesthesia for surgery. it contains soda lime granules which absorb carbon dioxide from the patient's breath & then return that breath back to the patient minus the carbon dioxide. a recycling of gases, if you will.

soda lime contains a colour indicator which tells the user when it is already saturated with carbon dioxide (in this case, from WHITE to PURPLE) & therefore needs to be changed. so when it turns purple, the whole cannister is emptied & fresh white-coloured ones refilled. something akin to changing your domestic water filter when it turns brown.

another manufacturer makes RED-coloured soda lime which turns WHITE when saturated with carbon dioxide. it really doesn't matter which manufacturer you source the soda lime from, as long as you are aware of the colour change.

so what happens when you decide to change from one manufacturer to another? surely, you'd completely exhaust your existing stock before using the new supply, or else the colour change will be confusing, and dangerously so.

















this is what happens when people get careless & therefore set the stage for a medical catastrophe.....



















.....twice!!

this lackadaisical attitude happens everywhere though :

in school, when wrongs facts are taught;
in construction, when wrong angles are calculated;
on the roads, when overtaking on double-lines;
& even at home, leaving the gas stove burning with a curious child on the loose.

i seriously think a lot more things didn't get a lot more worse because of divine intervention.

btw, it's friday 13th today but do have a good and SAFE weekend!

12 comments:

Unknown said...

Yup,, you have a good weekend too, i mean the great one...

I am not sure if you notice a new trend among the motor cyclists now,,, they just can't wait at the traffic light if it turns red, they will just cut over to the other side of the road, and zoom they go..

The impatient attitude i bet has landed a lot of these motorcyclist warded in the hospital

God Bless

Reanaclaire said...

gosh..that sounds scary..
on the brighter note, today is friday...yes, have a wonderful weekend..!!

doc said...

Eugene,

some get sent directly to the morgue.

some car drivers do the same, esp when vehicles on the other side haven't started moving yet.

doc said...

Claire,

have a good weekend & see you next week.

Jo said...

Oh my goodness! That is terrible!! Gross negligence.

Coincidentally, I was just lecturing the boy yesterday, how his carelessness could get him into serious trouble some day. Because one cannot live through life being so careless, thinking that luck is always on their side! Or divine intervention. Sigh!

wenn said...

ya, sometimes wrong facts are being conveyed. Btw, I hv a new blog.

missyc said...

you mean to say that one canister is used for one surgery ? don't remember seeing any of that .. really must thank anaesthetist (b4&after) coz they are the one who put you to sleep :O & makes sure you wake up :D

doc said...

Jo,

not quite negligence yet, but it could lead to it if this careless attitude persists.

hope the boy learns from his mistake.

doc said...

wenn,

will check it out.

doc said...

MissyC,

the soda lime is changed once the colour changes, depending on the number of patients & the duration of surgery but usually once a week.

did you really thank the anaesthetist after your surgery??

missyc said...

not in person coz she didn't come see after but I sent thank you card :D addressed to all.

doc said...

MissyC,

it's the thought that counts!