VORTRAN
®
Medical
5/26/2017
VORTRAN
®
GO
2
VENT™ User’s Guide
Page 24
Mario Romano, RCP, Otto G. Raabe, Ph.D, William Walby, MS and Timothy E. Albertson, MD, Ph.D., The Stability
of Arterial Blood Gases During Transportation of Patients Using the RespirTech PRO™, American Journal of
Emergency Medicine, May 2000.
PURPOSE
: The transportation of critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation is recognized as a high risk and
expensive procedure. Approaches have included using manual bag-type valve resuscitators and expensive portable transport
ventilators. This study evaluated the effectiveness of the inexpensive portable RespirTech PRO (RTP) gas-powered automatic
resuscitator during intra-hospital transport of critically ill mechanically ventilated patients.
BASIC PROCEDURES
: Twenty medical intensive patients on stable mechanical ventilator settings had arterial blood gas
and vital sign determination before routine transport out of the intensive care unit. Repeat measurements were made during
transport approximately 30 minutes after being placed on the RTP portable pressure-cycled automatic resuscitator using an
FiO2 of 100%.
MAIN FINDINGS
: During use of the RTP for transport, there were no statistically significant variations observed in mean
arterial blood pressure [82 ± 11 SD (range 65-112) mm Hg before transport versus 85 ± 14 SD (range 59-110) mm Hg during
transport], heart rate [94 ± 16 SD (range 74-127) beats/min) before versus 96 ± 17 SD (range 69-132) beats/min during],
arterial pH [7.41 ± 0.07 SD (range 7.31-7.58) before versus 7.42 ± 0.05 SD (range 7.37-7.52) during], and PaCO2 [43 ± 10
SD (range 26-65) mm Hg versus during 43 ± 10 SD (range 27-61 mm Hg) during]. Because the FiO2 before transport was 63
± 26 SD (range 30-100%) versus 100% during transport using the RTP, the mean PaO2 was significantly increased from 124
± 86 SD (range 57-367) mm Hg before transport to 297 ± 168 SD (range 65-537) mm Hg during (P<0.001). No transportation
associated clinical adverse events were noted.
DISCUSSION:
Several previous investigations have shown that portable ventilators are safe and effective in intra-hospital
transport of mechanically ventilated patients. This study demonstrated that the portable pressure-cycled RTP also allows safe
transportation of mechanically ventilated ICU patients. By analogy, the RTP is potentially useful as an automatic resuscitator
for emergency medical care.
PRINCIPAL CONCLUSION
: This RTP is a disposable resuscitator/ventilator device that provides an inexpensive alternative
for transporting ventilator-dependent patients
Mario Romano, RCP, COMPATIBILITY OF THE RESPIRTECH PRO IN THE MRI UNIT, presented at 46th
AARC International Respiratory Congress in Cincinnati, OH, October 7-10, 2000.
BACKGROUND
: Because most medical facilities do not have MRI compatible ventilators, MRI studies on intubated patients
are frequently delayed until the patient is extubated. Although there are mechanical ventilators that are MRI compatible, the
cost for purchasing them for MRI use only is impractical, especially in light of the limited number of intubated patients
needing an MRI. This paper examines the RespirTech PRO, a single patient use fully automatic resuscitator, and how it
functioned during an MRI study in a General Electric 1.5 MRI unit.
METHODS
: One clinically stable 72-year old male patient in need of an MRI of his head was placed on the automatic
resuscitator with extension kit. The patient was set in a control mode of 16 BPM with a ventilating pressure of 25 cm-H2O
and a liter flow of 40 LPM at a FiO2 of 100%. The patient was placed in a General Electric 1.5 MRI unit, and the device
functioned without incident. No attraction to the magnet was noted. Image artifact was minimal and was limited to the patient
tee area, allowing for a clear picture of the head. The patient tolerated ventilation well, and his vital signs are summarized in
the graph below.
RESULTS:
Patient Vital Signs:
Tx
HR
BP
O
2
Sat.
FiO
2
Set
Pre MRI
85
98/51
98%
100%
During MRI
77
102/54
96%
100%
DISCUSSION
: No significant changes in vital signs or O
2
saturation were noted with the use of the automatic resuscitator.
The patient appeared to tolerate the procedure with no adverse affects. No attraction to the MRI magnet was noted and artifact
was limited to the patient tee area.
CONCLUSIONS:
The RespirTech PRO can be a safe and cost effective ventilator for use in the MRI room without the need
to purchase capital equipment. More experience with the use of this automatic resuscitator in transporting patients to other
areas of the hospital can establish it as a safe and cost effective transport.
