Humidicare - an implementation study of a novel HME safety device designed to prevent ventilator circuit occlusion due to inadvertent dual humidification.
J Med Eng Technol
; 45(2): 129-135, 2021 Feb.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-33554700
ABSTRACT
Mechanical ventilation bypasses the protective mechanisms of the upper respiratory tract which are designed to heat and humidify inspired air to 37 °C and 44 mg H2O/L respectively. Artificial humidification systems are therefore incorporated into ventilation circuits to condition cold and dry medical gases before they reach the lower respiratory tract and cause patient harm. Commonly either a heat and moisture exchanger (HME) or a heated humidifier (HH) are utilised for this purpose, however the inadvertent simultaneous use of both devices within the same circuit can cause critical airway occlusion within 24 h. The Humidicare HME (Medovate, Cambridge, UK) is a safety engineered temperature-dependent warning system designed to activate when inadvertently placed into a warm circuit containing a HH. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of the Humidicare HME warning system in simulated clinical conditions. The threshold temperature for activation of the device was determined in a digital incubator, and the device was tested for efficacy with a HH present or absent from the breathing circuit. The device performed reliably and activated rapidly when required across all simulations. The Humidicare HME warning system is a simple and unobtrusive device which can effectively alert the operator to the error of dual humidification.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Equipos de Seguridad
/
Respiración Artificial
/
Ventiladores Mecánicos
/
Humidificadores
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
J Med Eng Technol
Año:
2021
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Reino Unido