Comparison of two ventilators used with the T-piece in paediatric anaesthesia

The Nuffield 200 ventilator was compared with a new valveless ventilator (CW 200) in 20 children undergoing general anaesthesia for paediatric surgery. The new ventilator incorporates design features which overcome the main disadvantages of the Nuffield 200 and make it an inherently safer machine. At identical ventilator settings it produced a significantly greater tidal volume with a reduction in end-tidal carbon dioxide partial pressure. This may have advantages in avoiding pulmonary barotrauma in children.