Oscillators

Specialties NICU

Published

Can someone please explain to me how oscillators work vs. the conventional ventilator? I have seen this and some of the RT's have explained it to me a few times but I am so confused. Hopefully the more times i do see oscillators, the more it will start to make sense to me.:uhoh21:

Specializes in NICU.
Our XRay techs do this too! I'm always unable to explain why this would be a BAD idea because I'm so baffled by the idiocy of the request that I can't speak properly.

Seriously...

Can't you see that this baby is as sick as they get...??? I guess the oscillator, more lines and drips then ever thought possible, and blood products running in just scream "move me all around just for the fun of it!"

I can't believe the looks some of our x-ray techs will give me when I tell them "no, I'm not turing their head to face completely supine"

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It doesn't..........

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I guess that was my point.

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Nevermind, I'm an idiot. NIPPV does not = the oscillator.

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Elizabells does not equal idiot!

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With HFOV, think of it as "CPAP with a wiggle." The "CPAP" is given with the MAP and the "wiggle" is given with the AMPs and Hz. MAP (and of course, FiO2) controls oxygenation. Increase the MAP to increase oxygenation. Amplitude (aka. DeltaP or Power) and Hz (frequency) control the amount of CO2 blown off from the lungs. To help blow off CO2, increase the AMPs or decrease the Hz. One Hz equals 60 breaths per minutes, so a Hz of 10 would be equivalent to 600 breaths per minute. The reason that decreasing Hz would help lower the CO2 is because #1 more time for exhalation and #2 more tidal volume is given to the infant. Hope this helps!

Check out this link for an excellent explanation of HFOV given by a brilliant child with Tay-Sachs disease.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8C7StisDFM

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