2010 OPEN FORUM Abstracts
EVALUATION OF A TRANSPORT HUMIDIFIER WITH TRANSPORT HIGH FREQUENCY VENTILATION USING NASAL CPAP AND 3.5 ENDOTRACHEAL TUBE.
Rick Carter1, Kevin Crezee1, Null M. Donald2; 1Respiratory Care, Primary Childrenâs Medical Center, Salt Lake City, UT; 2Department of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT
Background: Intermountain Life Flight transport services has used high frequency ventilation on neonatal transport for several years without heated humidity. Recently a method to deliver heated humidity using the high frequency ventilator was devised. Method: The Perussionaire Bronchotron I with Turbohead Phasitron(Bronchotron) was used with size #0, size #5 Hudson Nasal CPAP prongs or a 3.5 endotracheal tube(ET) and was attached to a specimen cup used as a lung model with a fixed leak. The Philips NEO-POD T(NPT) was evaluated with an Airborne Neonatal Isolete(Isolete). The NPT was set @ 37â Celsius(C) and targets up to 100% relative humidity(RH). A noenatal ventilator curcuit was used. The percussion knob was placed at the 12 oâclock position and flowrate knob and operational pressure was used to get pressures from 4 to 14 for nasal cpap. The percussion, flowrate and operational pressure knobs varied to get pressures from 4 to 26 for the 3.5 ET. When the humidifier indicated it was ready, temperature(temp) and RH measurements were taken from within the specimen cup using a FLUKE 971 Temperature Humidity Meter. A baseline measurement without the NPT was taken with Bronchotron in Isolete. Results: We found that the NPT set at 37âC could deliver an ARH of 98% and temp of 29.4âC outside of the Isolete. Measurements done with NPT at 38âC were unchanged from measurements done at 37âC so are not listed. The following measurements were with the Hudson prongs inside the Isolete. The NPT set at 37âC could deliver an average RH(ARH) of 83.3% and average temp(AT) of 30.2âC with Isolete temp set at 34âC. An ARH of 92.2% and AT of 34.2âC was measured with the NPT set at 37âC and the Isolete set at 37âC. The measurements with the 3.5 ET were as follows. Without the NPT the Isolete temp set at 34âC an ARH of 31.9% and AT of 31.2âC was measured. With the Isolete temp set at 37âC an ARH of 33.5% and AT of 31.4âC was measured. With the NPT set temp at 37âC and the Isolete set temp at 34âC an ARH of 96% and AT of 32.3âC was measured . All measurements are shown in following table. Conclusion: The NPT was unable to reach normal body temp, but had adequate RH in our testing environment using the Bronchotron. It does appear it would improve RH and airway temp significantly over the non heated humidification method currently used. Until better technology becomes available that provides improved results I would recommend the use of the NPT in this transport environment. Sponsored Research - None