PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Asaad, Bassem O
AU  - Helwani, Mohammad
AU  - Wheeler, David M
AU  - O'Connor, Michael S
TI  - Use of Non-Partitioned Ventilator Tubing Results in Dead-Space Ventilation Hypercarbia
AID  - 10.4187/respcare.01017
DP  - 2011 May 01
TA  - Respiratory Care
PG  - 698--701
VI  - 56
IP  - 5
4099  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/5/698.short
4100  - http://rc.rcjournal.com/content/56/5/698.full
AB  - 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.