| Manifestations | - Non-moving ventilator bellows or piston
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- No patient respiratory motion
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| Potential causes | |
- Patient apnea (no respiratory effort)
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- Malfunctioning flow sensor (moisture, burnt out filament)
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- Exhaled gas exiting breathing system before flowmeter
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- Large cuff leak (no exhaled gas into breathing system)
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- Lower airway suction (gastric tube in trachea, tracheal/bronchial suction)
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- Breathing system leak or disconnection
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- Breathing system obstruction
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- Airway (ETT or LMA) obstruction
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- Ventilator turned off or cycling failure malfunction
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| Suggested responses | - Determine whether patient ventilation is occurring (examine chest, auscultate lungs, check CO2 waveform and respiratory monitors, check SpO2)
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- Look for breathing circuit disconnection or obstruction
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- Verify that ventilator is operating
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- Switch to manual ventilation
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- If necessary, ventilate with manual resuscitation device connected to oxygen
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