Evaluation of mechanical ventilators' accuracy in clinical settings: A quality control study

Background: A mechanical ventilator (MV) is one of the most important devices in critical care units. Improper ventilator settings may adversely affect patients' health. The objective of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of volume, pressure, and flow delivered by the ventilators in clinical settings. Materials and Methods: Thirty randomly chosen MVs from four randomly selected main hospitals in the eastern province of Saudi Arabia were included in this study. All types of modern intensive care unit ventilators brands along with all versions were targeted. Pressure, volume, and flow were evaluated at two levels by using Fluke Biomedical VT PLUS HF Gas Flow Analyzer. Results: High-pressure mean was 28.7 ± 4.9 cm H2O and low-pressure mean was 14.6 ± 1.3 cm H2O. 95% limits of agreement (LA95%) between the measured and setting in high pressure was −0.74–2.86 cm H2O and −0.114–0.84 cm H2O in low pressure. The mean of volume measurements was 676.9 ± 45.5 ml in high setting and 342.9 ± 24 ml in low setting. In high volume setting, LA95%of 104.76–138.05 ml, wherein low volume LA95%of 47.7–65.3 ml. High flow mean was 53.4 ± 4.6 lpm with LA95%of 3.3–6.8 lpm and low flow mean was 36 ± 3.7 lpm with LA95%of 1.87–4.6 lpm. Conclusion: The present data reveal that MVs in clinical settings have some variations in their performance. The delivered flow and volume might not be accurate as it might be anticipated. These differences should be considered while their use in critically ill patients.