VORTRAN
®
Medical
5/26/2017
VORTRAN
®
GO
2
VENT™ User’s Guide
Page 21
Dave Swift, RRT, RRCP - Senior Therapist Ottawa Hospital, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Preparing for Mass Casualties
& Mechanical Ventilation Alternatives, presented at 48
th
AARC International Respiratory Congress in Tampa, FL, Oct
5-7, 2002.
The March 1995 Tokyo, Japan terrorist attack using the nerve agent Sarin sounded a wakeup call to health care workers. The
intentional release of this neurotoxin resulted in 11 dead and five thousand exhibiting toxic symptoms. The health care system
was rapidly overwhelmed.
1
The National Capital Region of Ottawa is home to embassies of many nations and is viewed as a very high risk for a terrorist attack.
As the sole Respiratory Therapist representative on the Chemical, Biological, Radiation and Nuclear Committee, it became rapidly
apparent that there was a serious discrepancy between the number of ventilators available and the actual ventilator resources
available. This finite limit was determined to be both unacceptable and avoidable. To avoid compromising patient care a cost
effective method for treating the largest number of patients had to be determined.
It was determined that a pneumatic, automatic resuscitator offered the best clinical options. As it was not dependent on a/c
power, was highly portable and relatively easy to use it seemed the most appropriate, cost effective choice.
The units were tested using the following clinical simulations: increased resistance, decreased compliance, increased compliance and
with an air leak present. All units performed as advertised when faced with increased compliance, with delivered volumes decreasing
and rates increasing with increased resistance and compliance. Serious clinical problems would be encountered with air leaks present
and would need prompt medical intervention. Although all three units performed as advertised, each unit had individual
characteristics that would have to be evaluated by the potential user as suitable for their own clinical applications.
The Vortran Automatic Resuscitator offered the capabilities of managing the largest number of patients at the most financially
responsible cost. In addition, the unit has the advantage of ease of use and that the equipment offered a simple solution to the
handling of contaminated units from a biological or terrorism incident, it is disposable. The costs of the other units prohibited
one time use and would result in a lengthy and expensive decontamination process, which might also pose a hazard to hospital
staff charged with decontamination.
Characteristics
AMBUMATIC
2
GENISIS II
3
VORTRAN AUTOMATIC
RESUSCITATOR
4
Patient Type
Pediatric (>3 yrs) & adult
Pediatric (>3 yrs) & adult
Pediatric (>3 yrs) & adult
Power source
pneumatic
pneumatic
pneumatic
Portability
<1.5 lb.
<2 lb.
<1 lb.
Pressure cycled
yes
no
yes
Volume cycled
yes
yes
no
Rates
12 or 20
8 - 12
0->40
Antisuffocation valve
yes
yes
yes
Pressure relief
yes
yes
yes
Pressure monitoring
yes (optional)
no
yes (optional)
Alarms
audible blowoff
audible blowoff
audible blowoff
FiO2 control
60 or 100%
100%
50 or 100%
PEEP
intrinsic
intrinsic
intrinsic
Single/multiple use
multiple pts
multiple pts
single
Cost CDN (0.62US$)
>$500
<$400
<$45
Replacement parts
yes (valves, etc)
no
no
Required & CT scan/
Not certified for
Not certified for
Certified for
MRI compatibility
CT Scan or MRI use
CT Scan or MRI use
CT Scan or MRI use
Characteristics Required In A Mass Casualty Ventilator/Resucitator:
1
Brackett D.W., Holy Terror, Armageddon in Tokyo, New York:Weatherhill, Inc. 1996
2
Ambumatic , Manufacturer: Ambu Inc. Linthicum, MD, USA
3
GenisisII, Manufacturer: O2 Systems Inc., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada
4
VAR (Resp. Tech Pro), Manufacturer: VORTRAN Medical Technology, Sacramento, California, USA
