PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Jennifer A Bunn
AU  - Jesse L Pittsley
AU  - Scott V Baker
AU  - JW Yates
TI  - Assessment of Accuracy of the Vacu-Med 17053 Calibrator for Ventilation, Oxygen Uptake (V̇<sub>O<sub>2</sub></sub>), and Carbon Dioxide Production (V̇<sub>CO<sub>2</sub></sub>)
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.00951
DP  - 2011 Apr 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 472--476
VI  - 56
IP  - 4
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/4/472.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/4/472.full
AB  - BACKGROUND: Few have examined the accuracy of mechanical calibrators used to calibrate metabolic monitors. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the Vacu-Med 17053 motorized syringe calibrator for accuracy against the accepted standard method: the Douglas bag. METHODS: We tested oxygen consumption (V̇O2) values of 522–3,210 mL/min. We mixed room air and calibration gases in the pumping syringes of the Vacu-Med 17053 and evacuated those gases into a Douglas bag, measured the Douglas bag volumes and concentrations, and converted to pulmonary ventilation, V̇O2, and carbon dioxide production (V̇CO2). RESULTS: The Vacu-Med 17053 calibrator overestimated V̇O2 by a mean 28.6 mL/min (1.3% error), underestimated V̇CO2 by 6.9 mL/min (−1.7% error), and underestimated pulmonary ventilation by 0.98 L/min (−1.4% error). The V̇O2 and V̇CO2 differences between the calibrator and the Douglas bag were larger at higher V̇O2 levels. CONCLUSIONS: The V̇O2 and V̇CO2 differences might be attributable to fluctuations of the calibrator settings. The Vacu-Med 17053 calibrator was accurate with the application of a mathematical correction.