| Manifestations | |
- Empty reservoir bag (in fresh-gas-decoupled circle breathing system)
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- Non-moving ventilator bellows or piston
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| Potential causes | |
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- When switching from mechanical to spontaneous ventilation
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- Threshold pressure alarm setting too high
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- Pressure sensor line disconnect or obstruction
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- Reduction or loss of gas flow into breathing system
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- Leak within anesthesia machine downstream of flowmeters
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- Leak within vaporizer (only happens when vaporizer is dialed on; often filler cap left open)
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- Detached or obstructed fresh gas hose
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- Fresh gas misdirected to auxiliary common gas outlet
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- Breathing system leak or disconnection
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- At airway (cuff or mask leak)
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- Tubing connections loose or disconnected
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- CO2 absorbent canister cracked or not sealed properly
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- Gas analyzer sample line loose or disconnected
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- Leaking ventilator relief valve
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- Negative pressure applied to breathing system (also refer to table on negative airway pressure alarm)
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- Intentional tracheal/bronchial suctioning (eg, fiberoptic)
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- Malfunctioning scavenger system via ventilator relief valve
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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
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- Fill breathing circuit with high fresh gas flows
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- Disconnect patient and quickly pressure test breathing system to determine if leak is in the workstation or at the airway
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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 O2
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