Help with Autovent 3000 and Carevent ALS Handheld

[spenac]

Ok guys asking for some more education. The two vents at my part time job are Autovent 3000 and Carevent ALS Handheld. Can you go over proper use of? Any good links to help me be more proficient as I'm not satisfied with the training given. Note I said training, I want education. I realize these are two of the simpler ventilators but I also realize that proper use is vital. Thanks.

Here they are for reference:

http://www.progressivemed.com/estylez_item.aspx?item=88402

http://www.progressivemed.com/estylez_item.aspx?item=14212

[spenac]

These seem less complicared than the other one I asked about. Help me out people. Thanks.

[VentMedic]

These seem less complicared than the other one I asked about. Help me out people. Thanks.

The little red one is a tricked out Elder (demand) valve.

The Autovent 3000 is an automatic BVM.

Both should connect to a 50 psi connector as the O2 source.

When determining VT, a height and ideal body weight chart would be helpful to estimate. But, I prefer the old fashioned way most of the time in the field or ED (unless thinking about a specific protocol) by looking at chest rise and listening to breath sounds while watching skin color, HR and SpO2 (ETCO2 if available). I also use the BVM first to see what the compliance is like and to anticipate problems that the ventilator will have to overcome.

I start the ventilator tidal volume setting slightly lower than what I estimate incase the lungs are more restrictive than anticipated. For the rate, you also want to match or slightly exceed what you believe the patient's minute volume was before intubation if the patient was intubated for pending respiratory failure. The rate doesn't have to be the same as the patient's if rapid since you can give a slightly larger VT to even it out to meet their MV demands. Since this is controlled ventilation, you rate setting can vary from 8 - 28. If you set 10 and the patient is still trying to breath 20, you may have to increase the rate to meet his demands or asynchrony will occur and the ventilator will not be effective. But, watch your VT and try to get a happy median to the patient, their disease process and the ventilator. Check breath sounds and learn how to judge the PIPs (Peak Inspiratory Pressures) for each patient and how they can relate to the ventilator settings and disease processes.

These machines are automated BVMs without a lot of variables. However, since it's hands off ventilation, complications can occur quickly if one puts to much faith into the machine. They also have few or no alarms to warn you and will just keep pumping the volume into the patient or NOT if the tube is kinked or plugged.