Review of Methodology in Anesthetic Gas Monitoring

This review concentrates on the underlying principles of operation of analyzers suitable for anesthetic gas monitoring. It includes any special advantage or disadvantage of a particular technique and relates these to the clinical requirements associated with patient safety. The methods available are categorized into those based on bulk properties, on spectroscopy, and on special applications such as mass spectrometry and gas chromatography. The final conclusion from the detailed considerations is that a performance standard for anesthesia gas monitoring is desirable and timely.