Transport Vents

[ERDoc]

I'm looking for some input on the AutoVent 3000 and 4000. Anyone have any experience with it? What are your thoughts? Are they appropriate for critical care, interfacility transports?

[chbare]

I've transported patients (30-40 min interfacility transports in an ambulance) on the 2000 and 3000 and have a bit of experience with the 4000.Very rudimentary devices that cannot work without a constant supply of compressed gas. Limited options and limited ability to monitor anything useful. May be an okay device for patients who are unresponsive without any underlying respiratory pattern. Not a good option if any degree of complexity is required. However, the cheap price may be appealing.

[ERDoc]

What about for pts who are post arrest or resp failure but have their own respirations?

[chbare]

You would have a difficult time using these ventilators on spontaneously breathing patients, particularly if they are in respiratory failure and require complex support. The Autovents are essentially designed to deliver volume controlled, CMV ventilation. The 4000 allows some basic settings such as inspiratory time, but will not interact significantly with a spontaneously breathing patient. The transports that I did with these devices had me administering liberal doses of midazolam and vecuronium. The situations were sort of desperate and involved working at a small ER with a critical patient and weather that precluded medevac. At that time the only Medevac we had was a MAST helicopter out of Fort Bliss, over 100 miles away or possibly a fixed wing aircraft. We had our own transport bags in the ER and would go with the fire department on these transports. It was an interesting time and I was probably taking on much risk with limited experience as I was a newly minted nurse. Anyway, it was impossible to manage these patients unless they were apneic and essentially unresponsive using the Autovent.

[triemal04]

The only Autovent I've used was the 2000 so my info is a bit dated, but...it's a POS. The only thing it has going for it is that it's cheap...though I'd go so far as to say that for what you get it was to expensive.

I looked into the 3000 and 4000 years ago and was less than impressed. The 3000 was 90% the same as the 2000, and from what I recall the 4000, while having some additional features, was still extremely basic, and the additional features (CPAP, O2 blending, tighter control over tidal volume, I think adjustable PEEP, and semi-adjustable I:E) didn't work very well. Needless to say the 4000 was not purchased.

I can tell you from personal experience that, at least with the 2000, (which I think used the same technology as the 4000 and definetly the 3000) any spontaneous breathes caused problems.

Spend the extra money, especially if this is for CCT, and even if it's for routine 911 and buy something better. From what I've been able to find the Oxylog series from Draeger is worth it, even the older models.

[chbare]

If price is an issue you can obtain a refurbished Oxylog 3000 for approximately the same price as an Autovent 4000.

Edited March 16, 2014 by chbare

[ERDoc]

Thanks for the input.

[mikeymedic1984]

The Ivent is the only way to go, as it allows for everything. The autovents work, but does not allow you too many settings to choose from (rate and tidal volume only). In the 911 environment (post arrest) it is fine, but if doing interfacility transfers where a pt has already been on a real vent, the autovent sucks. So just depends on how you are going to use it, and how often. If you have short transport times, and are looking at 911 use, the old BVM may be a more cost effective tool to use. If you are shorthanded on arrest scenes, then the autovent is a good choice.

[chbare]

You need to be very cautious about placing ventilators on a pedestal. Once you start talking about sufficiently complex ventilators, subtle differences can have significant consequences. For example, would you choose the ivent over a LTV 1200 if you had to manage a 7kg patient?

[Arctickat]

I have no experience with the vents you're asking about. However I use the Carevent ALS+ CPAP which appears similar. If you want any input on that, just ask.