Inappropriate ventilator triggering caused by an in-line suction catheter.
OBJECTIVE
To examine the phenomenon of inappropriate triggering caused by an in-line suction catheter.


METHODS
We used a test lung to assess inappropriate triggering in four ventilators with both pressure and flow triggering.


RESULTS
With pressure triggering, inappropriate triggering occurred only in the presence of PEEP. However, with flow triggering, inappropriate triggering occurred both with and without PEEP. Inappropriate triggering did not occur in a model of severe airflow obstruction.


CONCLUSIONS
In-line suction catheters may lead to inappropriate triggering and potentially dangerous increases in delivered ventilation.
Al-Khafaji
Ali
A
Department of Medicine, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Lebanon, NH 03756-0001, USA.
Manning
Harold L
HL
D004867:Equipment Design; D004868:Equipment Failure; D006801:Humans; D008168:Lung; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D011175:Positive-Pressure Respiration; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D013396:Suction / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012122:Ventilators, Mechanical