HOME VENTILATION: ARE YOU ALARMED?

• Published in: Canadian journal of respiratory therapy : CJRT = Revue canadienne de la thérapie respiratoire : RCTR 2019-01, Vol.55, p.63
• Main Authors: Heletea-McLean, M, Pizzuti, R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Alarms; Hypoxia; Respiratory therapy; Risk factors; Ventilation
• ISSN: 1205-9838; 2368-6820

The risk of a "No Alarm" condition resulting from inappropriate alarm settings has recently garnered attention. "Improperly Set Ventilator Alarms Put Patients at Risk for Hypoxic Brain Injury or Death" is listed by ECRI among the Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2019. Customizing user-adjustable alarms to a patient's respiratory parameters is an important risk-mitigation strategy for mechanically-ventilated individuals. In Ontario, the number of individuals requiring home ventilation has steadily increased over the last three decades. Home care ventilators are increasingly more complex and offer a variety of alarms. However, user-adjustable alarms must be appropriately set if they are to be effective in mitigating the risks of occlusions, leaks, and breathing circuit disconnections including those with high resistance at the site of the disconnection [1]. The Ontario Ventilator Equipment Pool (VEP), as part of a patient safety initiative, developed tools for the respiratory therapist to help guide the setting of safe and effective alarms on the model Phillips Trilogy200 ventilator, a model of ventilator used in the province of Ontario. The tool kit consisting of a pathway and accompanying guide provides the respiratory therapist with practical recommendations for initial alarm settings using simulation models to demonstrate "No Alarm" conditions. The tools will be presented along with case study practical applications.