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Anaesthesia · Monitoring and anaesthesia workstation: curriculum recognition
Sample itemAn anaesthetist wants to stop a vaporiser calibrated for one volatile agent from being topped up with a different liquid agent by mistake. Which design feature of modern vaporisers does this?
Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.
The answer and the reasoning
B. Agent-specific keyed port on the filler
Modern vaporisers have a filler fitted with an agent-specific key, so only the bottle of the matching agent can be connected. This prevents a wrongly filled vaporiser from delivering an unpredictable concentration. Other safety features, such as the interlock and temperature compensation, address different hazards.
Option by option
A. Pressure-relief valve on the vaporiser outlet
A pressure-relief valve protects against back pressure from the circuit and has no role in filling.
B. Agent-specific keyed port on the filler (correct)
Correct. Only a bottle with the matching key fits, so the vaporiser cannot be filled with the wrong agent.
C. Interlock allowing only one vaporiser on the manifold to be turned on
The interlock stops two vaporisers delivering together; it does not prevent wrong filling.
D. Bimetallic strip that compensates for temperature
Temperature compensation keeps output constant as the liquid cools; it does not stop wrong filling.
Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.
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