How to choose an anesthesia ventilator?

Abstract

During the past few years, many manufacturers have developed a new generation anesthesia ventilators or anesthesia workstations with innovative technology and introduced so-called new ventilatory modes in the operating room. The aim of this article is to briefly explain how an anesthesia ventilator works, to describe the main differences between the technologies used, to describe the main criteria for evaluating technical and pneumatic performances and to list key elements not to be forgotten during the process of acquiring an anesthesia ventilator.

Keywords: Anesthesia ventilator choice; Banc d’essai; Bellows; Bench test; Choix ventilateur d’anesthésie; Piston; Soufflet; Turbine.