Use of a Mechanical Ventilator with Respiratory Function Monitoring Provides More Consistent Ventilation during Simulated Neonatal Resuscitation.

Introduction: Positive pressure ventilation (PPV) with T-Piece and self-inflating bag (SIB) during neonatal resuscitation after birth is associated with variability in ventilation. The use of a ventilator with respiratory function monitoring (RFM) for PPV, however, has not been evaluated.

Objective: To determine if ventilator + RFM can reduce ventilation variability compared to T-Piece and SIB in a preterm manikin at different combinations of target tidal volume (VT) and lung compliance (CL).

Methods: Twenty clinicians provided PPV via mask and endotracheal tube (ETT) using SIB, T-Piece, T-Piece + RFM and Ventilator + RFM to a manikin with adjustable lung CL. Three combinations of CL and target VT: Low CL-Low VT, Low CL-High VT and High CL-Low VT were used in a random order.

Results: The use of ventilator + RFM for PPV via ETT during High CL-Low VT period reduced the proportion of breaths with expiratory VT above target when compared to the other 3 devices (56 ± 35%, 85 ± 20%, 90 ± 25%, 92 ± 12% for ventilator + RFM, T-Piece + RFM, T-Piece, SIB, respectively; p < 0.05). During PPV via both mask and ETT, ventilator + RFM maintained the set Ti and rate, whereas SIB and T-Piece use resulted in higher rates, and T-Piece in higher proportion of breaths with prolonged Ti. During PPV via mask, ventilator + RFM reduced gas leakage compared to other devices.

Conclusion: In this simulation study, use of a mechanical ventilator with RFM led to an overall improvement in volume targeting at different settings of CL and reduced the gas leak during mask ventilation. The efficacy and safety of using this strategy to neonatal resuscitation in the delivery room needs to be evaluated.