Vital Capacity and Cycling
It is well known that atelectasis occurs during general anaesthesia and can persist postoperatively, contributing to significant post-operative complications with additional healthcare costs.1
Common strategies to prevent atelectasis are the Vital Capacity and Cycling Manoeuvres.
Until now, this has been delivered manually by the caregiver during the case. The Aisys CS2 and Avance CS2 Carestations* introduce two lung ventilation procedures to help caregivers in dealing with atelectasis.
Vital Capacity procedure automates the manual bag ‘squeeze and hold.' PEEP can be programmed at the end of the procedure that may help prevent recurrent atelectasis.
Cycling is a toolkit that allows the clinician to design a lung mechanics manoeuvre, to stepwise increase and decrease PEEP in programmable increments during mechanical ventilation, to help clinician open collapsed airways.
1 Br J Anaesth 2003; 91: 61±72. New concepts of atelectasis during general anaesthesia.