Choosing an ICU ventilator: what to check before you buy

Ventilator brochures tend to converge: every unit lists the same mode acronyms and a similar tidal-volume range. The differences that matter in daily use are usually further down the specification sheet.

Patient range

A ventilator rated from neonatal through adult is only genuinely useful across that range if the flow sensor resolves small tidal volumes accurately. If you ventilate neonates, ask for the accuracy figure at 5 mL, not just the lower bound of the range.

Battery endurance

Where mains supply is intermittent, internal battery time is a clinical specification rather than a convenience. Six hours allows intra-hospital transfer and covers most generator changeover gaps.

Consumable cost

Circuits, flow sensors and oxygen cells are recurring costs. Ask for the annual consumable estimate at your expected occupancy before comparing purchase prices.

Service coverage

Confirm that spare parts are stocked locally, and ask how long a typical board replacement takes. A ventilator waiting three months for a part is not a working ventilator.