Abstract
Movement of the mechanically ventilated patient may be for a routine procedure or medical emergency. The risks of transport seem manageable, but the memory of a respiratory-related catastrophe still gives many practitioners pause. The risk/benefit ratio of transport must be assessed before movement. During transport of the ventilated patients, should we always use a transport ventilator? What is the risk of using manual ventilation? How are PEEP and FIO2 altered? Is there an impact on the ability to trigger during manual ventilation? Is hyperventilation and hypoventilation a common problem? Does hyperventilation or hypoventilation result in complications? Are portable ventilators worth the cost? What about the function of portable ventilators? Can these devices faithfully reproduce ICU ventilator function? The following pro and con discussion will attempt to address many of these issues by reviewing the current evidence on transport ventilation.
Footnotes
- Correspondence: Steven R Holets RRT, Mayo Clinic 200 2nd Avenue SW, Rochester, MN 55905. E-mail: holets.steven{at}mayo.edu.
Mr Holets and Mr Davies presented a version of this paper at the 54th Respiratory Care Journal Conference, “Respiratory Care Controversies III,” held June 5–6, 2015, in St Petersburg, Florida.
Both authors have disclosed relationships with Resmed. Both authors contributed equally to this work.
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