CLINICAL VALIDATION OF THE DELTATRAC MONITORING-SYSTEM IN MECHANICALLY VENTILATED PATIENTS

Objective: To evaluate a monitor of pulmonary gas exchange (Deltatrac, Datex) in a clinical setting. Design: After in vitro evaluation, comp arison over 2 min between VO2 and VCO2 values measured by the Deltatra c and the Douglas bag technique. Comparisons were also achieved over 8 h periods between the Deltatrac and a system using a mass-spectromete r. Setting: Polyvalent intensive care unit (ICU 15 beds) in a 1200 bed general hospital. Patients: Comparison with the Douglas bag technique in 10 patients undergoing controlled ventilation. Comparison with the mass-spectrometer system in 25 other patients undergoing controlled o r pressure support ventilation. Measurements and results: Compared to the results obtained by the Douglas bag technique, the bias (+/-2SD) f or VO2 and VCO2, was -3.5 +/- 26.6 and 6.1 +/- 12.7 ml.min(-1) respect ively. By comparison with the mass-spectrometer system, the bias for V O2 and RQ was -5.8 +/- 16.0 ml.min and 0.018 +/- 0.048, respectively. No drift between the two systems was observed over time. Conclusions: The Deltatrac appears suitable for VO2 and VCO2 measurements in ventil ated patients and equivalent to a mass-spectrometer system for long te rm measurements.