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HAMILTON-G5. The modular high-end ventilation solution

HAMILTON-G5 ventilator HAMILTON-G5 ventilator

One for all. Your resourceful all-rounder

In the critical care unit, the HAMILTON-G5 ventilator is your faithful ally for all patient populations, from neonates to adults. Thanks to its multitude of high-end features, it can support your patients for all their ventilation needs, from high flow oxygen therapy to invasive ventilation. And when the time comes, advanced modes such as ASV can even help you wean them (Kirakli C, Naz I, Ediboglu O, Tatar D, Budak A, Tellioglu E. A randomized controlled trial comparing the ventilation duration between adaptive support ventilation and pressure assist/control ventilation in medical patients in the ICU. Chest. 2015;147(6):1503-1509. doi:10.1378/chest.14-25991​).

Graphic illustration: human lung with symbol "protective shield" as sign for lung protection

As you need it. And individualization for your patients

With the wide choice of optional features on the HAMILTON-G5, you can create your own custom-made solution for providing individualized lung-protective ventilation to your patients:

  • Intelligent ventilation modes
  • Lung assessment and recruitment
  • Synchronization based on waveform analysis
  • Transpulmonary pressure measurement
Specialist operates a HAMILTON-G5

At eye level. Remote access to humidifier controls and status

The unique ventilator connectivity option enables you to operate the HAMILTON-H900 humidifier directly from the ventilator's display. You can access all the controls, monitoring parameters, and alarms, and adjust them as needed.

The humidifier can also select the humidification mode automatically (invasive, noninvasive, or high flow) based on the selected ventilation mode.

Want to see more?
Explore the 3D model

Discover the HAMILTON-G5 from every angle and click on the hotspots to learn more.

For quick details

  • Standard
  • Option
  • Not available
Patient groups Adult/Ped, Neonatal
Dimensions (W x D x H) 500 x 450 x 440 mm (ventilation unit)
580 x 600 x 1300 mm (min. monitor mounted on rail)
580 x 600 x 1500 mm (max. monitor mounted on rail)
Weight Ventilation unit, monitor, and shelf mount: 38 kg (83.8 lb)
57 kg (125.6 lb) with standard trolley, monitor, and ventilation unit
Monitor size and resolution 15 in (381 mm) diagonal
1024 x 768 pixels
Detachable monitor
Battery operating time 1 h with one battery
Hot-swappable battery
Air supply Requires compressed air
O2 connector DISS (CGA 1240) or NIST (optional), NF (optional)
Connectivity CompactFlash, USB, DVI, COM (RS-232), Special interface
Loudness 38.6 dB in normal operation
Volume controlled, flow controlled
Volume targeted, adaptive pressure controlled
Intelligent ventilation ASV®
Noninvasive ventilation
High flow
Visualization of lung mechanics (Dynamic Lung)
Visualization of the patient’s ventilator dependence
Esophageal pressure measurement
Capnography
SpO2 monitoring
Recruitability assessment and lung recruitment (P/V Tool Pro)
Patient-ventilator synchronization (IntelliSync+)
CPR ventilation
Hamilton Connect Module
Hamilton Connect App
Remote connection to HAMILTON-H900 humidifier
Integrated IntelliCuff cuff pressure controller
Integrated pneumatic nebulizer
Integrated Aerogen nebulizer
Compatibility with Sedaconda ACD-S anesthetic delivery system
Craig Jolly Bimari Treuren

Customer voices

What I like the most about the HAMILTON-G5s is probably the monitoring parameters and the ability to trend those in real time and up to 72 hours. I have been able to use that on a disease-specific basis and trend data that I couldn’t do before.

Craig Jolly

RRT, Adult Clinical Education Coordinator
University Medical Center, Lubbock (TX), USA

Customer voices

The HAMILTON-G5 has given us a lot of different options and features all of which are in great need in the NICU.

Bimari Treuren

Respiratory Therapy Clinical Supervisor
Florida Hospital for Children, Orlando (FL), USA

For your patients

Intelligent ventilation solutions at a glance

ASV® - Adaptive Support Ventilation®. For adaptation around the clock

The ventilation mode ASV continuously adjusts the respiratory rate, tidal volume, and inspiratory time breath by breath depending on the patient’s lung mechanics and effort - 24 hours a day, from intubation to extubation.

IntelliSync®+. For patient-ventilator synchrony

Continuously analyzing waveform shapes hundreds of times per second allows IntelliSync+ to detect patient efforts and cycling immediately, and initiate inspiration and expiration in real-time.

IntelliSync+ applies to invasive and noninvasive ventilation, regardless of the ventilation mode.

P/V Tool® Pro. For lung assessment and recruitment

You can use the P/V Tool Pro to assess lung recruitability and determine the recruitment strategy.

Additionally, you can use it to perform a sustained inflation recruitment maneuver and measure the increase in lung volume.

Transpulmonary pressure measurement. For inside insights

Transpulmonary pressure measurement allows optimization of PEEP, tidal volume, and inspiratory pressure.

Use it in combination with the P/V Tool Pro to assess lung recruitability and perform recruitment maneuvers.

Remote humidifier access. For your convenience

The unique ventilator connectivity option enables you to operate the HAMILTON-H900 humidifier (The HAMILTON-H900 is not approved for use during transport.e​) directly from the ventilator's display. You can access all the controls, monitoring parameters, and alarms, and adjust them as needed.

The humidifier can also select the humidification mode automatically (invasive, noninvasive, or high flow) based on the selected ventilation mode.

Integrated nebulizer. For additional treatments

The integrated pneumatic nebulizer is fully synchronized with the timing of inspiration and expiration.

An integrated, synchronized Aerogen nebulizer is available as an option (Not available in all marketsa​, Only available for HAMILTON-C6/G5/S1b​).

The delivery of a fine mist of drug aerosol particles helps you reverse bronchospasm, improve ventilation efficiency, and reduce hypercapnia (Dhand R. New frontiers in aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation. Respir Care. 2004;49(6):666-677. 100​, Waldrep JC, Dhand R. Advanced nebulizer designs employing vibrating mesh/aperture plate technologies for aerosol generation. Curr Drug Deliv. 2008;5(2):114-119. doi:10.2174/156720108783954815101​).

Integrated IntelliCuff®. For controlled cuff pressure

IntelliCuff continuously measures and automatically maintains the user-set cuff pressure of an endotracheal or tracheostomy tube in real-time (IntelliCuff Auto mode not available in all markets.c​).

High flow nasal cannula therapy. For O2 fanatics

High flow nasal cannula therapy is available as an option on all our ventilators. In just a few steps, you can change the interface and use the same device and breathing circuit to accommodate your patient’s therapy needs.

Volumetric capnography. For CO2ntrol freaks

Proximal flow and CO2 measurement enables our ventilators to perform up-to-date volumetric capnography, which provides an important basis for the assessment of ventilation quality and metabolic activity.

Vent Status panel. For those who are ready to wean

The Vent Status panel displays six parameters related to the patient’s ventilator dependence, including oxygenation, CO2 elimination, and patient activity.

A floating indicator moving up and down within each column shows the current value for a given parameter.

Dynamic Lung panel. For visual people

The Dynamic Lung panel shows you a graphic real-time representation of the following important monitoring data:

  • Tidal volume
  • Compliance and resistance
  • Patient triggering
  • SpO2
  • Pulse rate

Configurable loops and trends. For statisticians

The ventilator can display a dynamic loop based on a selected combination of monitored parameters. With the trend function, you can see trending information displayed for the monitoring parameters and time frame of your choice. 

The device continually stores the monitored parameters in its memory, even when in Standby.

Pulse oximetry. For SpO2 enthusiasts

The SpO2 option offers integrated noninvasive SpO2 measurement with the data displayed conveniently on your ventilator.

We also offer a comprehensive portfolio of SpO2 sensors.

High-performance noninvasive ventilation. For mask-wearers

The noninvasive ventilation modes deliver pressure-supported, flow-cycled spontaneous breaths (NIV and NIV-ST mode) and pressure-controlled, time-cycled mandatory breaths (NIV-ST).

Compared to ventilators using compressed air, our turbine-driven ventilators are capable of providing higher peak flow rates. This guarantees optimal performance even with large leaks.

nCPAP modes. For the little ones

The nCPAP modes are designed so you only need to set the desired CPAP pressure. The flow is subsequently adjusted based on patient conditions and potential leaks. This prevents unintended peak pressures, guarantees highly efficient leak compensation, and helps to reduce oxygen consumption. Flow adjustment occurs very rapidly due to the high sensitivity of the pressure measurement.

Heliox therapy. For constricted airways

Heliox therapy can help you successfully reduce the patient’s work of breathing while treating the cause of upper airway obstructions (Hess DR, Fink JB, Venkataraman ST, Kim IK, Myers TR, Tano BD. The history and physics of heliox. Respir Care. 2006;51(6):608-612. 102​, Berkenbosch JW, Grueber RE, Graff GR, Tobias JD. Patterns of helium-oxygen (heliox) usage in the critical care environment. J Intensive Care Med. 2004;19(6):335-344. doi:10.1177/0885066604269670103​).

For you

Breathing circuit set, coaxial

Preassembled. And ready to use

Our preassembled breathing circuit sets include the essential consumables to operate the ventilator, conveniently packaged in one single bag.

All our essential consumables are specially developed for Hamilton Medical ventilators with guaranteed manufacturer quality.

Automation; Hand turns knob button clockwise

Less knob-turning. More adaptations to your patient

To manage ventilation you usually have to set multiple parameters, such as pressure, volume, inspiratory and expiratory triggers, cuff pressure, and more. And each time your patient's condition changes, you have to make one or even several readjustments.

To simplify this process and reduce the knob-turning, we have created a range of solutions:

Adaptive Support Ventilation (ASV) is a ventilation mode that provides continuous adaptation of respiratory rate, tidal volume, and inspiratory time, depending on the patient’s lung mechanics and effort. ASV has been shown to shorten the duration of mechanical ventilation in various patient populations with fewer manual settings (Kirakli C, Naz I, Ediboglu O, Tatar D, Budak A, Tellioglu E. A randomized controlled trial comparing the ventilation duration between adaptive support ventilation and pressure assist/control ventilation in medical patients in the ICU. Chest. 2015;147(6):1503-1509. doi:10.1378/chest.14-25991​, ​Tam MK, Wong WT, Gomersall CD, et al. A randomized controlled trial of 2 protocols for weaning cardiac surgical patients receiving adaptive support ventilation. J Crit Care. 2016;33:163-168. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2016.01.0182​, Zhu F, Gomersall CD, Ng SK, Underwood MJ, Lee A. A randomized controlled trial of adaptive support ventilation mode to wean patients after fast-track cardiac valvular surgery. Anesthesiology. 2015;122(4):832-840. doi:10.1097/ALN.00000000000005893​).

IntelliSync+ continuously analyzes waveform signals at least one hundred times per second. This enables IntelliSync+ to detect patient efforts immediately and to initiate inspiration and expiration in real-time, thus replacing conventional trigger settings for inspiration and expiration.

Conventional solutions for cuff pressure management require you to monitor and adjust cuff pressure by hand.

IntelliCuff secures your patient’s airway (Chenelle CT, Oto J, Sulemanji D, Fisher DF, Kacmarek RM. Evaluation of an automated endotracheal tube cuff controller during simulated mechanical ventilation. Respir Care. 2015;60(2):183-190. doi:10.4187/respcare.033874​) by continuously measuring and automatically maintaining the set cuff pressure for adult, pediatric, and neonatal patients.

Patient in wheelchair with ventilator

Farewell ventilator! Tools to implement your weaning protocols

We want our ventilator to leave your patient’s side as quickly as possible. That is why we provide you with tools to help you implement your weaning protocol.

These include visual aids and ventilation modes designed to encourage spontaneous breathing.

Professionals looking into Hamilton Medical e-learnings

Get the hang of it! Learning paths and educational content

Our online Academy offers easy-to-follow learning paths to familiarize you with Hamilton Medical products and technologies as quickly as possible.

For the future

Illustration of a compass pointing towards the future

Constant evolution. Expanding your ventilator’s capabilities

We are constantly working on further evolving our products. New features are added and existing features improved to ensure you always have access to the latest ventilation technology over your ventilator’s lifetime.

Hamilton ventilation family Hamilton ventilation family

Know one, know them all. A universal user interface

Whether it is in the ICU, in the MRI suite, or during transport, the user interface of all Hamilton Medical ventilators works in the same way.

Our Ventilation Cockpit integrates complex data into intuitive visualizations.

For the complete solution

Fully integrated accessories

We develop our accessories for the highest possible patient safety and ease of use in mind. Whenever possible, we integrate them with our ventilators to simplify operation of the complete ventilator system.

Our consumables

All Hamilton Medical Originals are designed for optimal performance with Hamilton Medical ventilators. To ensure maximum user satisfaction and patient safety, we strive for the highest quality and safety standards.

For more information

Document
HAMILTON-G5 brochure USA
English | 0.76 MB | ELO20160404N.03

References

  1. 1. Kirakli C, Naz I, Ediboglu O, Tatar D, Budak A, Tellioglu E. A randomized controlled trial comparing the ventilation duration between adaptive support ventilation and pressure assist/control ventilation in medical patients in the ICU. Chest. 2015;147(6):1503-1509. doi:10.1378/chest.14-2599
  2. 2. Tam MK, Wong WT, Gomersall CD, et al. A randomized controlled trial of 2 protocols for weaning cardiac surgical patients receiving adaptive support ventilation. J Crit Care. 2016;33:163-168. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2016.01.018
  3. 3. Zhu F, Gomersall CD, Ng SK, Underwood MJ, Lee A. A randomized controlled trial of adaptive support ventilation mode to wean patients after fast-track cardiac valvular surgery. Anesthesiology. 2015;122(4):832-840. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000589
  4. 4. Chenelle CT, Oto J, Sulemanji D, Fisher DF, Kacmarek RM. Evaluation of an automated endotracheal tube cuff controller during simulated mechanical ventilation. Respir Care. 2015;60(2):183-190. doi:10.4187/respcare.03387

 

  1. 100. Dhand R. New frontiers in aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation. Respir Care. 2004;49(6):666-677.
  2. 101. Waldrep JC, Dhand R. Advanced nebulizer designs employing vibrating mesh/aperture plate technologies for aerosol generation. Curr Drug Deliv. 2008;5(2):114-119. doi:10.2174/156720108783954815
  3. 102. Hess DR, Fink JB, Venkataraman ST, Kim IK, Myers TR, Tano BD. The history and physics of heliox. Respir Care. 2006;51(6):608-612.
  4. 103. Berkenbosch JW, Grueber RE, Graff GR, Tobias JD. Patterns of helium-oxygen (heliox) usage in the critical care environment. J Intensive Care Med. 2004;19(6):335-344. doi:10.1177/0885066604269670

Footnotes

  • a. Not available in all markets
  • b. Only available for HAMILTON-C6/G5/S1

 

  • c. IntelliCuff Auto mode not available in all markets
  • e. The HAMILTON-H900 is not approved for use during transport

A randomized controlled trial comparing the ventilation duration between adaptive support ventilation and pressure assist/control ventilation in medical patients in the ICU.

Kirakli C, Naz I, Ediboglu O, Tatar D, Budak A, Tellioglu E. A randomized controlled trial comparing the ventilation duration between adaptive support ventilation and pressure assist/control ventilation in medical patients in the ICU. Chest. 2015;147(6):1503-1509. doi:10.1378/chest.14-2599



BACKGROUND

Adaptive support ventilation (ASV) is a closed loop mode of mechanical ventilation (MV) that provides a target minute ventilation by automatically adapting inspiratory pressure and respiratory rate with the minimum work of breathing on the part of the patient. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of ASV on total MV duration when compared with pressure assist/control ventilation.

METHODS

Adult medical patients intubated and mechanically ventilated for > 24 h in a medical ICU were randomized to either ASV or pressure assist/control ventilation. Sedation and medical treatment were standardized for each group. Primary outcome was the total MV duration. Secondary outcomes were the weaning duration, number of manual settings of the ventilator, and weaning success rates.

RESULTS

Two hundred twenty-nine patients were included. Median MV duration until weaning, weaning duration, and total MV duration were significantly shorter in the ASV group (67 [43-94] h vs 92 [61-165] h, P = .003; 2 [2-2] h vs 2 [2-80] h, P = .001; and 4 [2-6] days vs 4 [3-9] days, P = .016, respectively). Patients in the ASV group required fewer total number of manual settings on the ventilator to reach the desired pH and Paco2 levels (2 [1-2] vs 3 [2-5], P < .001). The number of patients extubated successfully on the first attempt was significantly higher in the ASV group (P = .001). Weaning success and mortality at day 28 were comparable between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In medical patients in the ICU, ASV may shorten the duration of weaning and total MV duration with a fewer number of manual ventilator settings.

TRIAL REGISTRY

ClinicalTrials.gov; No.: NCT01472302; URL: www.clinicaltrials.gov.

A randomized controlled trial of 2 protocols for weaning cardiac surgical patients receiving adaptive support ventilation.

Tam MK, Wong WT, Gomersall CD, et al. A randomized controlled trial of 2 protocols for weaning cardiac surgical patients receiving adaptive support ventilation. J Crit Care. 2016;33:163-168. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2016.01.018



PURPOSE

This study aims to compare the effectiveness of weaning with adaptive support ventilation (ASV) incorporating progressively reduced or constant target minute ventilation in the protocol in postoperative care after cardiac surgery.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A randomized controlled unblinded study of 52 patients after elective coronary artery bypass surgery was carried out to determine whether a protocol incorporating a decremental target minute ventilation (DTMV) results in more rapid weaning of patients ventilated in ASV mode compared to a protocol incorporating a constant target minute ventilation.

RESULTS

Median duration of mechanical ventilation (145 vs 309 minutes; P = .001) and intubation (225 vs 423 minutes; P = .005) were significantly shorter in the DTMV group. There was no difference in adverse effects (42% vs 46%) or mortality (0% vs 0%) between the 2 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of a DTMV protocol for postoperative ventilation of cardiac surgical patients in ASV mode results in a shorter duration of ventilation and intubation without evidence of increased risk of adverse effects.

A randomized controlled trial of adaptive support ventilation mode to wean patients after fast-track cardiac valvular surgery.

Zhu F, Gomersall CD, Ng SK, Underwood MJ, Lee A. A randomized controlled trial of adaptive support ventilation mode to wean patients after fast-track cardiac valvular surgery. Anesthesiology. 2015;122(4):832-840. doi:10.1097/ALN.0000000000000589



BACKGROUND

Adaptive support ventilation can speed weaning after coronary artery surgery compared with protocolized weaning using other modes. There are no data to support this mode of weaning after cardiac valvular surgery. Furthermore, control group weaning times have been long, suggesting that the results may reflect control group protocols that delay weaning rather than a real advantage of adaptive support ventilation.

METHODS

Randomized (computer-generated sequence and sealed opaque envelopes), parallel-arm, unblinded trial of adaptive support ventilation versus physician-directed weaning after adult fast-track cardiac valvular surgery. The primary outcome was duration of mechanical ventilation. Patients aged 18 to 80 yr without significant renal, liver, or lung disease or severe impairment of left ventricular function undergoing uncomplicated elective valve surgery were eligible. Care was standardized, except postoperative ventilation. In the adaptive support ventilation group, target minute ventilation and inspired oxygen concentration were adjusted according to blood gases. A spontaneous breathing trial was carried out when the total inspiratory pressure of 15 cm H2O or less with positive end-expiratory pressure of 5 cm H2O. In the control group, the duty physician made all ventilatory decisions.

RESULTS

Median duration of ventilation was statistically significantly shorter (P = 0.013) in the adaptive support ventilation group (205 [141 to 295] min, n = 30) than that in controls (342 [214 to 491] min, n = 31). Manual ventilator changes and alarms were less common in the adaptive support ventilation group, and arterial blood gas estimations were more common.

CONCLUSION

Adaptive support ventilation reduces ventilation time by more than 2 h in patients who have undergone fast-track cardiac valvular surgery while reducing the number of manual ventilator changes and alarms.

Evaluation of an automated endotracheal tube cuff controller during simulated mechanical ventilation.

Chenelle CT, Oto J, Sulemanji D, Fisher DF, Kacmarek RM. Evaluation of an automated endotracheal tube cuff controller during simulated mechanical ventilation. Respir Care. 2015;60(2):183-190. doi:10.4187/respcare.03387



BACKGROUND

Maintaining endotracheal tube cuff pressure within a narrow range is an important factor in patient care. The goal of this study was to evaluate the IntelliCuff against the manual technique for maintaining cuff pressure during simulated mechanical ventilation with and without movement.

METHODS

The IntelliCuff was compared to the manual technique of a manometer and syringe. Two independent studies were performed during mechanical ventilation: part 1, a 2-h trial incorporating continuous mannikin head movement; and part 2, an 8-h trial using a stationary trachea model. We set cuff pressure to 25 cm H2O, PEEP to 10 cm H2O, and peak inspiratory pressures to 20, 30, and 40 cm H2O. Clinical importance was defined as both statistically significant (P<.05) and clinically significant (pressure change [Δ]>10%).

RESULTS

In part 1, the change in cuff pressure from before to after ventilation was clinically important for the manual technique (P<.001, Δ=-39.6%) but not for the IntelliCuff (P=.02, Δ=3.5%). In part 2, the change in cuff pressure from before to after ventilation was clinically important for the manual technique (P=.004, Δ=-14.39%) but not for the IntelliCuff (P=.20, Δ=5.65%).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a clinically important drop in manually set cuff pressure during simulated mechanical ventilation in a stationary model and an even larger drop with movement, but this was significantly reduced by the IntelliCuff in both scenarios. Additionally, we observed that cuff pressure varied directly with inspiratory airway pressure for both techniques, leading to elevated average cuff pressures.

New frontiers in aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation.

Dhand R. New frontiers in aerosol delivery during mechanical ventilation. Respir Care. 2004;49(6):666-677.

The scientific basis for inhalation therapy in mechanically-ventilated patients is now firmly established. A variety of new devices that deliver drugs to the lung with high efficiency could be employed for drug delivery during mechanical ventilation. Encapsulation of drugs within liposomes could increase the amount of drug delivered, prolong the effect of a dose, and minimize adverse effects. With improved inhalation devices and surfactant formulations, inhaled surfactant could be employed for several indications in mechanically-ventilated patients. Research is unraveling the causes of some disorders that have been poorly understood, and our improved understanding of the causal mechanisms of various respiratory disorders will provide new applications for inhaled therapies.

Advanced nebulizer designs employing vibrating mesh/aperture plate technologies for aerosol generation.

Waldrep JC, Dhand R. Advanced nebulizer designs employing vibrating mesh/aperture plate technologies for aerosol generation. Curr Drug Deliv. 2008;5(2):114-119. doi:10.2174/156720108783954815

Recent technological advances and improved nebulizer designs have overcome many limitations of jet nebulizers. Newer devices employ a vibrating mesh or aperture plate (VM/AP) for the generation of therapeutic aerosols with consistent, increased efficiency, predominant aerosol fine particle fractions, low residuals, and the ability to nebulize even microliter volumes. These enhancements are achieved through several different design features and include improvements that promote patient compliance, such as compact design, portability, shorter treatment durations, and quiet operation. Current VM/AP devices in clinical use are the Omron MicroAir, the Nektar Aeroneb, and the Pari eFlow. However, some devices are only approved for use with specific medications. Development of "smart nebulizers" such as the Respironics I-neb couple VM technologies with coordinated delivery and optimized inhalation patterns to enhance inhaled drug delivery of specialized, expensive formulations. Ongoing development of advanced aerosol technologies should improve clinical outcomes and continue to expand therapeutic options as newer inhaled drugs become available.

The history and physics of heliox.

Hess DR, Fink JB, Venkataraman ST, Kim IK, Myers TR, Tano BD. The history and physics of heliox. Respir Care. 2006;51(6):608-612.

Since the discovery of helium in 1868, it has found numerous applications in industry and medicine. Its low density makes helium potentially valuable in respiratory care applications, to reduce work of breathing, improve distribution of ventilation, reduce minute volume requirement, and improve aerosol delivery. This review includes a brief history of the use of heliox (a mixture of helium and oxygen) and addresses issues related to the physics of gas flow when heliox is used. Specifically covered are the Hagen-Poiseuille equation, laminar versus turbulent flow, the Reynolds number, orifice flow, Bernoulli's principle, Graham's law, wave speed, and thermal conductivity.

Patterns of helium-oxygen (heliox) usage in the critical care environment.

Berkenbosch JW, Grueber RE, Graff GR, Tobias JD. Patterns of helium-oxygen (heliox) usage in the critical care environment. J Intensive Care Med. 2004;19(6):335-344. doi:10.1177/0885066604269670

The objective of this study was to describe the patterns of heliox use in critical care units of an academic medical center. The design was a prospective case series involving 7 critical care units of an academic medical center. All patients receiving heliox therapy over a 4-year period were studied, with prospective recording of patient demographics and the location, mode, indication for, and duration of heliox use. Use pattern comparisons based on anatomic location (upper vs lower airway) and age group (pediatric vs adult) were performed by alpha(2) analysis and unpaired Student t test. Eighty-nine patients, aged 17.4 +/- 20.9 years, received heliox for 30.5 +/- 44.6 hours on 92 occasions. Pediatric (