In this study we evaluated six anesthesia systems--three systems from each of two manufacturers--used to administer inhalation (general) anesthesia. Because contemporary anesthesia systems are assembled from components that represent proven technology, we focused on whether the systems could meet the needs of a variety of clinical applications and whether they provided clinically useful integration of instrument control and of information presentation. Performance (e.g., accuracy, response time) of individual components was explored only if it became suspect in the course of testing or if problems had been reported by users. We found that all the evaluated systems can be used to deliver anesthesia safely; thus, we rated them Acceptable. We did, however, note differences among the systems with respect to suitability for various types of procedures, degree of integration, and cost. Based on these concerns, we ranked the systems in four groups. Guidance for choosing the system that best meets a healthcare facility's needs is presented in the Anesthesia System Purchasing Strategy Guide at the end of the Evaluation. Also included in this study are a "Glossary of Anesthesia Terms and Abbreviations" and a supplementary article describing a new system that replaces one of the evaluated systems.
在本研究中，我们评估了六种麻醉系统——来自两家制造商，每家各三种系统——用于实施吸入（全身）麻醉。由于当代麻醉系统是由代表成熟技术的组件组装而成，我们重点关注这些系统是否能够满足各种临床应用的需求，以及它们是否能在临床上实现仪器控制和信息呈现的有效整合。只有在测试过程中发现某个组件性能可疑，或者用户报告出现问题时，才会对其性能（如准确性、响应时间）进行探究。我们发现，所有评估的系统都可用于安全地实施麻醉；因此，我们将它们评为“可接受”。不过，我们确实注意到这些系统在适用于各类手术的程度、整合程度和成本方面存在差异。基于这些考量，我们将这些系统分为四组。在评估末尾的《麻醉系统采购策略指南》中提供了有关选择最符合医疗机构需求的系统的指导。本研究还包括一份“麻醉术语和缩写词汇表”以及一篇补充文章，介绍了一种取代其中一种评估系统的新系统。
