%0 Journal Article %A Bassem O Asaad %A Mohammad Helwani %A David M Wheeler %A Michael S O'Connor %T Use of Non-Partitioned Ventilator Tubing Results in Dead-Space Ventilation Hypercarbia %D 2011 %R 10.4187/respcare.01017 %J Respiratory Care %P 698-701 %V 56 %N 5 %X We present a case of severe postoperative hypercarbia in a patient with severe COPD. Hypercarbia and respiratory acidosis continued to increase despite maximal ventilation, bronchodilator therapy, sedation, and paralysis. Mistaken use of non-partitioned ventilator circuit was the cause of the hypercarbia. The ventilator's self-test function failed to detect the error. We changed to a partitioned-lumen circuit, with much less ventilation dead space, and the hypercarbia resolved immediately. %U https://rc.rcjournal.com/content/respcare/56/5/698.full.pdf