Bilateral pneumothoraces from a malfunctioning resuscitation valve.
Disposable resuscitation valves appear as relatively simple devices used to ventilate patients during both emergent situations and transport from the operating room to the intensive care unit. We report a case of a nonfunctional disposable resuscitation valve that resulted in barotrauma and bilateral pneumothoraces. A routine check for proper function of these valves before use in critically ill patients may help to eliminate such cases.
Myers
D P
DP
Department of Anesthesiology and Critical Care Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Buffalo, NY.
de Leon-Casasola
O A
OA
Bacon
D R
DR
Slowik
W P
WP
Lema
M J
MJ
D000368:Aged; D001469:Barotrauma / Q000209:etiology*; D004209:Disposable Equipment; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011030:Pneumothorax / Q000209:etiology*; D012151:Resuscitation