Pitfalls in Ventilation Devices

Abstract

Adequate ventilation is the greatest concern of all the anaesthesiologists. Any disturbance in the ventilation process could result in serious hazards: hypoxemia or barotrauma. Deficient devices are one of many causes of such derangements. Some of the typical complications of airway/ventilation tools are described extensively in textbooks, but many other uncommon events can still occur. We described two interesting cases of device-related ventilation inadequacy, hoping that acquaintance with such jeopardizes would be helpful in emergency situations for other colleagues.

Keywords: Heat and Moisture Exchanger filter; leak; obstruction; tube connector.

Figure 1

Absence of orifice (red ring)

Figure 2

Normal Y-piece with two orifices

Figure 3

Cleavage of plastic fittings between two plastic parts of the HME filter HME: heat and moisture exchange