Intensive care ventilators

Intensive care ventilators are used to provide ventilatory support for patients who cannot breathe on their own or who require assistance to maintain adequate ventilation. Patients ventilated by these devices can range in age from neonates to adults and can vary in condition from very critical, unstable patients to relatively stable postoperative patients. While intensive care ventilators are typically used in critical care areas of the hospital, they may be used in other care areas as well. In this study, we evaluated seven ventilators specified for intensive care applications. Four of the evaluated models offer the full variety of features needed to make a unit appropriate for a broad range of intensive care applications--for example, they offer both volume- and pressure-controlled modes of ventilation. We labeled these models comprehensive-capability units. The remaining three units lacked certain features, such as a pressure-controlled mode of ventilation, that limited their suitability for some applications. We labeled these models limited-capability units and rated them separately from the comprehensive-capability units. Although some users may find that a limited-capability unit can meet their needs, we believe that most facilities will want to select a ventilator from the more comprehensive category. We used the same ratings rationale for both categories of units, focusing largely on performance (e.g., accuracy, functionality) and safety considerations for adult and pediatric intensive care applications. We also considered ease of use, quality of construction, and reliability. For several of the evaluated units, we identified significant safety shortcomings that prevented us from rating the units Acceptable. In each of the two categories, we rated one unit Conditionally Acceptable and one unit Conditionally Acceptable--Not Recommended.