BACKGROUND In volume guarantee ventilation with the Dräger Babylog 8000 ventilator, inspiratory and expiratory flows are monitored and the expiratory tidal volume calculated following each inflation. The pressure for the next inflation is modified to ensure the expired tidal volume is close to the set value. AIM To investigate interrupted expiration observed during volume guarantee ventilatio...

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated the difference in bacterial contamination between conventional reused ventilator systems and disposable closed ventilator-suction systems. The aim of this study was to investigate the bacterial contamination rates of the reused and disposable ventilator systems, and the association between system disconnection and bacterial contamination of ventilator sy...

BACKGROUND Quality control procedures vary considerably among the providers of equipment for home mechanical ventilation (HMV). METHODS A multicentre quality control survey of HMV was performed at the home of 300 patients included in the HMV programmes of four hospitals in Barcelona. It consisted of three steps: (1) the prescribed ventilation settings, the actual settings in the ventilator co...

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of EJC, I share some problems close to my heart. They relate mainly two areas became acquainted with more than 50 years ago during as a student at Eötvös University, Budapest. was fascinated by Ramsey theory learned course Vera T. Sós and notion perfect graphs related structures from Erdős Gallai. also impressed early developments hypergraph led Berge his Frenc...

Background: Quality control procedures vary considerably among the providers of equipment for home mechanical ventilation (HMV). Methods: A multicentre quality control survey of HMV was performed at the home of 300 patients included in the HMV programmes of four hospitals in Barcelona. It consisted of three steps: (1) the prescribed ventilation settings, the actual settings in the ventilator co...

Early mobilization and aggressive physical therapy are essential in patients who receive left ventricular assist devices (LVADs) due to long-term, end-stage heart failure. Some of these patients remain ventilator dependent for quite some time after device implantation. We report our regimen of mobilization with the aid of a portable ventilator, in patients with cardiac cachexia and LVAD implant...

Patient-ventilator synchrony is a common problem with all patients actively triggering the mechanical ventilator. In many cases synchrony can be improved by vigilant adjustments by the managing clinician. However, in most institutions clinicians are not able to spend the time necessary to ensure synchrony in all patients. Proportional assist ventilation (PAV) and neurally adjusted ventilatory a...