The stability of arterial blood gases during transportation of patients using the RespirTech PRO

The transportation of critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilat ion is recognized as a high risk and expensive procedure, Approaches have i ncluded using manual bag-type valve resuscitators and expensive portable tr ansport ventilators, This study evaluated the effectiveness of the inexpens ive portable RespirTech PRO (RTP) gas-powered automatic resuscitator during intrahospital transport of critically ill mechanically ventilated patients . Twenty medical intensive care patients on stable mechanical ventilator se ttings had arterial blood gas and vital sign determination before routine t ransport out of the intensive care unit (ICU), Repeat measurements were mad e during transport approximately 30 minutes after being placed on the RTP p ortable pressure-cycled automatic resuscitator using an FiO(2) of 100%, Dur ing use of the RTP for transport, there were no statistically significant v ariations observed in mean arterial blood pressure [82 +/- 11 SD (range 65 to 112) mm Hg before transport versus 85 +/- 14 SD (range 59 to 110) mm Hg during transport], heart rate [94 +/- 16 SD (range 74 to 127) beats/min) be fore versus 96 +/- 17 SD (range 69 to 132) beats/min during], arterial pH [ 7.41 +/- 0.07 SD (range 7.31 to 7.58) before versus 7.42 +/- 0.05 SD(range 7.37 to 7.52) during], and PaCO2 [43 +/- 10 SD (range 26 to 65) mm Hg befor e versus 43 +/- 10 SD (range 27 to 61 mm Hg) during], Because the FiO2 befo re transport was 63 +/- 26 SD (range 30% to 100%) versus 100% during transp ort using the RTP, the mean PaO2 was significantly increased from 124 +/- 8 6 SD (range 57 to 367) mm Hg before transport to 297 +/- 168 SD (range 65 t o 537) mm Hg during (P <.001). No transportation associated clinical advers e events were noted. Several previous investigations have shown that portab le ventilators are safe and effective in intrahospital transport of mechani cally ventilated patients, This study showed that the portable pressure-cyc led RTP also allows safe transportation of mechanically ventilated ICU pati ents, By analogy, the RTP is potentially useful as an automatic resuscitato r for emergency medical care, This RTP is a disposable resuscitator/ventila tor device that provides an inexpensive alternative for transporting ventil ator-dependent patients. (Am J Emerg Med 2000;18:273-277, Copyright (C) 200 0 by W.B. Saunders Company).