Comparison of State Compliance Readings on Four Different Ventilator Platforms

Background:

Bench studies reported as abstracts in 2006 and 2010 demonstrated that not all ventilators report accurate lung compliance measurements. The purpose of this study was to compare a set compliance (Cs) on a Michigan test lung to the measured Cs on four new generation ventilators not previously studied.

Methods:

The ventilators tested were the Drager v500, ServoU, PB 980, and Hamilton G5. The ventilators were set to volume control mode with a tidal volume of 500 mL, respiratory rate of 12 breaths/min, PEEP of 0 cm H₂O, and an inspiratory time of 1 second. The ventilators were individually attached to a single lung Michigan test lung (Grand Rapids, Michigan). Compliance on the test lungs were set to 30, 60, and 90 mL/cm H₂O respectfully and verified with a Med Graphics 3L Syringe per manufacturer's guidelines. Each time the compliance was changed the setting was verified per manufacture guidelines. Each ventilator was attached to the test lung at the different Cs settings and the ventilators reported Cs value were recorded three different times, 2 min apart. The reported values from the ventilator were then compared to the set values of the test lung.

Results:

All of the ventilators reported lung compliances within 2 cm H₂O of set and verified compliances

Conclusions:

In this bench test, we found that all new generation ventilators reported accurate lung compliances. This is different than prior abstracts that found that some ventilators were not as accurate on their reported Cs values.

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