PT - JOURNAL ARTICLE AU - Bassem O Asaad AU - Mohammad Helwani AU - David M Wheeler AU - Michael S O'Connor 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.