I AM HAVING PROBLEMS WITH MY SERVO I VENTS. I HAVE THEM SET UP WITH THE HUMID HEAT HME SYSTEM. THE PROBLEM IS THAT THE VENT WILL NOT LET THE PT EXHALE, THIS HAS HAPPENED THREE TIMES OVER THE LAST 10 MONTHS. I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF ANYONE ELSE IS HAVING THIS OR ANY OTHER PROBLEM WITH THESE VENTS, ANY HELP WOULD BE GREAT. THANKS

JOSEPH

I would be interested to know more about the HME system used & what the pressure & flow tracings look like @ the time the problem occurs

john esbenshade

THE HME SYSTEM IS THE HUMID HEAT BY HUDSON, IT IS AN HME THAT IS HEATED AND HUMIDIFIED. THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS SYSTEM IS THAT THERE IS NO RAINOUT WITH IT. I AM NOT SURE WHAT THE LOOPS WERE DOING AT THE TIME OF MALFUNCTION AS I WAS NOT PRESENT WHEN THE MALFUNCTION OCCURED. I WAS TOLD THAT THE VENT WAS STILL GIVING BREATHS BUT THAT THE EXHALED VOLUME WAS ZERO. THE PT HAD TO FORCE EXHALATION AROUND THE ETT CUFF. I AM GOING TO CHANGE OUT THE EXPIRATORY CASSETTE, AND SEE IF THIS FIXES THE PROBLEM. JOSEPH

JOSEPH

I would strongly recommend making sure that the humid heat hme was not occluded. Expectorated secretions can be hard to visualize in this product.