Anesthesia Machine Ventilators for Use in Critical Care During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Somewhere between 30 to 89% of patients with COVID-19 admitted to a critical care unit require invasive mechanical ventilation. Concern over the lack of adequate numbers of critical care ventilators to meet this demand led the United States Food and Drug Administration to authorize the use of anesthesia machines as critical care ventilators. The use of anesthesia machines for ventilating COVID-19 patients is overseen by an anesthesia provider but respiratory therapists may encounter their use. This article provides critical care respiratory therapists with a review of the fundamental differences between anesthesia workstations and critical care ventilators. The differences between anesthesia machine ventilators and critical care ventilators are outlined. Also examined are the common problems encountered when using an anesthesia machine to ventilate a COVID-19 patient and steps to mitigate these problems.