It is your first day in Guatemala, where you are scheduled to provide anesthesia as part of a medical mission. In checking your anesthesia machine on the first morning, you notice there are no gas cylinders attached to the machine. You are directed to a storage closet with multiple E-cylinders, none of which are green. What color cylinder should be attached to the oxygen location on your anesthesia machine?
- (A) Gray
- (B) White
- (C) Blue
Although the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) specifies the color of gas cylinders, not all countries abide by these specifications. The Figure compares the color of medical gas cylinders in the U.S. with the ISO standards. In the clinical scenario, the white cylinder should be used, as white is the international color code for oxygen.
Answer: B