A comparison of two ventilator systems using an infant lung model.

STANDARD adult circle systems (with adult ventilator bellows and carbon dioxide absorber) equipped with pediatric circuit hoses, rather than semiclosed partial rebreathing systems or specially designed pediatric circle systems (with small ventilator bellows and carbon dioxide canister), often are used to ventilate infants and children during administration of anesthesia. If adult circle ventilator systems are used, it is important to understand the possible limitations and to make necessary modifications of adult techniques for use with infants. One limitation of this equipment for infant ventilation is the difficulty in determining how to set the tidal volume (‘IT) if using a time-cycled, volume-limited mode of ventilation to ensure that the patient receives the desired TV. The large compression volume of the circle