[abstract] INVESTIGATION AND CERTIFICATION OF CRITICAL CARE EQUIPMENT FOR USE IN US NAVY HYPERBARIC CHAMBERS-CONTINUING PROJECT AND UPDATE FROM 2001 UHMS MEETING

Abstract

BACKGROUND: There is currently no Authorized for Navy USE (ANU) list of hyperbaric-safe medical equipment. NEDU, funded by the Navy Bureau of Medicine and Surgery, is in the second year of evaluating commercially available critical care equipment for use in US Navy hyperbaric chambers. This will be a follow-up presentation from last year's UHMS meeting with additional testing results. METHODS: Most Navy chambers do not have "through-the hull" penetrations for electrically hazardous equipment. Some equipment may contain materials that release hazardous volatile compounds at depth. These concerns and the equipment's operability have been evaluated to maximum depths of 165 feet of seawater for hyperbaric-safe operation. RESULTS: NEDU is continuing its evaluation of commercially available ventilators, intravenous pumps, thermometers and active re-warming equipment. Testing has been successfully completed on a combination cardiac monitor, non-invasive blood pressure monitor, core temperature and pulse oximeter and will be released to the Navy for use. All of the selected units were found to be hyperbaric-safe. Further testing is required to determine gas, fluid flow characteristics and accuracy at depth. In the course of testing areas of concern have arisen with regard to the sealed lead acid batteries that power some of these units. NEDU has developed a test protocol to address these issues. CONCLUSION: NEDU is entering its second year of identifying medical equipment that is safe to operate in a hyperbaric environment. We are continuing testing delivery and accuracy of the above equipment. Additional equipment applicable to the hyperbaric environment will continue to be evaluated. critical care, hyperbaric chamber, medical equipment, US Navy