t-piece or mini lack

RE: t-piece or mini lack

Calli D — Mon, 22 Jun 2015 10:05:50 GMT

David - Lots of good information - thank you for posting this. As a locum RVN I have only come across the Humphries system twice and although you get told how to set it up its quite different actually knowing how to set it up and how it works. Will read and digest, Thank you.

RE: t-piece or mini lack

David Gibbins — Sun, 21 Jun 2015 08:22:54 GMT

I prefer the Humphreys ADE over the mini lack and T-piece. It just feels wrong now when ever I have to use a T piece with its high flow rates and cumbersome tube layout. The only real downside to the ADE I that its not MRI safe.

RE: t-piece or mini lack

David Beattie — Fri, 22 May 2015 10:05:59 GMT

Not all mini-lack's are built equal, but assuming you're using the popular Humphrey's ADE system I think your new vet will grow to love it and prefer it to the T-piece for the reasons mentioned above.

Give her these links to research it for herself and she'll be much more comfortable - it's quite scary being a new grad vet and being ultimately "responsible" for an anaesthetic if you're not familiar with the equipment that the clinic is using:

http://www.edu.anaequip.com/veterinary-use/

http://www.edu.anaequip.com/setup/

http://www.edu.anaequip.com/faq/

http://www.edu.anaequip.com/?wpdmact=process&did=Mi5ob3RsaW5r

RE: t-piece or mini lack

Karen Carver — Mon, 18 May 2015 12:31:41 GMT

we have a burtons mini lack and apparently you can do IPPV as long as you turn up the flowrate to 600ml/kg

RE: t-piece or mini lack

James Colver Cert. Ed, RVN — Mon, 18 May 2015 10:39:43 GMT

Your O2 generators should be able to cope with flow rates for the T Piece - the only problem we have found with ours is that they lack the capacity to be able to flush the circuit quickly - so for this reason we always have a backup cylinder turned on and ready to go.

RE: t-piece or mini lack

Jill Macdonald — Mon, 18 May 2015 09:07:10 GMT

I think Susanna pretty much nails this. :) I love the mini lack, but have trouble getting some others to use it over the T-piece. I can never remember the minimum bodyweight for safe use - is it 1kg or is it something ridiculous like 150g??

RE: t-piece or mini lack

Selena Carnell — Sun, 17 May 2015 20:04:56 GMT

she's a new grad vet literally qualified less than 12 months we are her 2nd job, she is lovely but needs a bit of time to realise not everything is done as college. we have oxygen generators which i dont think will cope with the high flow rates of the t-piece. we don't have capnography,

RE: t-piece or mini lack

Susanna Taylor — Sun, 17 May 2015 16:08:18 GMT

The mini lack is a better system. As well as being more economical due to lower flows, you have the added benefit of some dead space rebreathing meaning the patient breathes in some warm and humidified air, which is better for temperature and respiratory health.

You can use it on very small things too. You also can actually do IPPV with it as long as you turn the flow rates up to T piece levels (admittedly it then looses its advantages over a t piece). To be sure of safety you can use a capnograph to check no co2 rebreathing.

Would be VERY interested to know yout new vets reasons for wanting to use a piece instead.

Am happy to explain further if what I've written doesn't make sense!

RE: t-piece or mini lack

JaneRVN — Sun, 17 May 2015 15:34:00 GMT

Initial lay out for a T piece is about £25 rather than the £150 for a mini lack, so although flow rates higher you could appease boss with a protocol for when you will use - small furries/high risk GAs?

RE: t-piece or mini lack

Laura Ringsell — Sat, 16 May 2015 20:04:38 GMT

For me have both, mini lack tonnes cheaper and fine for most of the time, good size variation too, then for the tricky ones or when IPPV is needed swap to the t-piece. Simples. One of those classic examples where one circuit doesn't fit all!