Evaluation of Two Mechanical Ventilators for Use in U.S. Army Combat Support Hospitals
Abstract
Patients who cannot or will not be evacuated to a fixed facility for an extended period of time may require long-term ventilator care. We studied two ventilators to determine which could better fulfill the needs of Army Combat Support Hospitals. VersaMed iVent and Drager Savina ventilators were tested in a 22-day study at the U.S. Army Institute of Surgical Research, Fort Sam Houston, Tx; Brooke Army Medical Center, Fort Sam Houston, TX; and Camp Bullis, TX between 14 April and 5 May 2004. Battery life and charge time, durability of ventilators underfield conditions, physical properties and restrictions, and ease of use were examined. Battery charge time for the iVent was nearly 4 times longer than for the Savina ventilator in our test. The iVent outperformed the Savina ventilator in the other categories. Both ventilators present limitations such as yearly checkup requirements by company-certified technicians, obligatory battery recharge every 6 months, and storage temperature restrictions. The life of the internal batteries for both devices was short (approximately one hour) . Of the two ventilators, our testing and user feedback recommend the VersaMed iVent ventilator. For either ventilator the purchase of optional external batteries should be considered.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2004
- Accession Number
- ADA424230
Entities
People
- Dominique Greydanus
- Leopoldo Cancio
- Tia Arevalo
- William Vanputte
Organizations
- United States Army Institute of Surgical Research