If a lower vapor pressure agent is added to a vaporizer designed for a higher vapor pressure agent, then the concentration delivered will be?

When a vaporizer that is optimized for a higher vapor pressure agent has a lower vapor pressure agent added, the concentration delivered to the patient will be lower than the setting. This occurs because the vaporizer is designed to deliver a specific concentration of the higher vapor pressure agent, which typically has a greater tendency to vaporize.

When a lower vapor pressure agent is introduced, it does not vaporize as efficiently as the higher vapor pressure agent. Consequently, the actual concentration of the lower vapor pressure agent in the gas mixture will not reach the desired setting established for the vaporizer since the system is unable to generate sufficient vapor from the lower pressure agent.

This scenario reflects the fundamental principles of vaporization and the specific characteristics of anesthetic agents. The delivery system's parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and flow, are all tailored to the properties of the original agent. Therefore, introducing a different agent with lower vapor pressure disrupts that balance, leading to a reduced concentration of the anesthetic gas being delivered to the patient.