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Inspired Air Temperature with Immersion Heater Humidifiers

KUNNATHU P. GEEVARGHESE, MB, BS, FRCP(C)^*, J. ANTONIO ALDRETE, MD, MS, and TARANGINI C. PATEL, MB, BS

*Associate Professor. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine and Veterans Administration Hospital, Louisville. Kentucky 40202. Professor. Current address: Department of Anesthesiology. University of Colorado School of Medicine. Denver. Colorado. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine and Veterans Administration Hospital, Louisville. Kentucky 40202. Instructor. Department of Anesthesiology, University of Louisville School of Medicine and Veterans Administration Hospital, Louisville. Kentucky 40202.

Abstract

The temperature of aerosol mixture delivered from 2 types of immersion heater humidifiers was monitored at various sites along the delivery tube. As anticipated, the temperature of the humidified gas decreased as it moved distally from the aerosol generator to the T-adaptor in contact with patient's airway. The immersion heaters with fixed-temperature thermostatic control performed consistently, though most produced inhaled air temperatures higher than desired (>37°C). Immersion heaters with temperature reset features were in general unreliable and invariably gave higher inspired air temperatures with higher settings of the thermostat.