title: Recommendations for mechanical ventilation during donor care.
abstract: The organ procurement coordinator usually directs adjustments to the mechanical ventilator during donor care. It is often difficult to achieve optimal oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide removal while avoiding barotrauma or undesirable effects on the cardiac output. Interrelationships among a variety of ventilator parameters must be understood in order to achieve the desired goal of providing the best organs possible. These recommendations review the key ventilator parameters of tidal volume; positive end-expiratory pressure; auto-positive end-expiratory pressure; fraction of inspired oxygen; and flowrate and frequency and their interactions in controlling peak, plateau, and mean and end-expiratory airway pressures.
authors.affiliation: Rutland Regional Medical Center, Vt., USA.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Powner
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Darby
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Stuart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000403:Airway Resistance; D002302:Cardiac Output; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D012121:Respiration, Artificial / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D013990:Tidal Volume; D014019:Tissue Donors; D009927:Tissue and Organ Procurement / Q000379:methods*