Evaluation of the Pneupac Ventipac portable ventilator in critically ill patients

We assessed adequacy of ventilation in 20 critically ill patients with mult iple organ failure using a Pneupac Ventipac portable ventilator and the eff ects on patients' haemodynamic stability Baseline data were recorded over 1 5 min for a range of respiratory, haemodynamic and oxygen transport variabl es during ventilation with a standard intensive care ventilator (Engstrom E rica). Patients were then ventilated for 40 min using the portable ventilat or. Finally, they were ventilated for a further 40 min using the standard i ntensive care ventilator. Heart rate, arterial and pulmonary artery pressur es were recorded at 5-min intervals throughout the study period. Cardiac in dex and other haemodynamic data derived from a pulmonary artery catheter we re recorded at 20-min intervals. Blood gas analysis was performed and oxyge n transport data (oxygen delivery oxygen consumption and physiological shun t) were calculated at the end of each of the three periods of ventilation. In general, no significant adverse effects of ventilation using the portabl e ventilator were observed for any of the variables studied. Arterial PO2 i ncreased significantly during ventilation with the portable ventilator, ref lecting the use of a higher inspired oxygen fraction during this part of th e study. Oxygen consumption decreased significantly in one patient during v entilation by the portable ventilator although none of the other variables measured in this patient was altered. We conclude that ventilation of criti cally ill patients using the Pneupac Ventipac portable ventilator was safe, satisfactory and associated with minimal adverse effects on respiratory, h aemodynamic and oxygen transport variables.